The Dying Light of a Borrowed Star
by Aworldnotsosimple00
Summary: That was it. The gate had activated and he couldn't kill her. Not Yin. Now he was Alone. Was this his punishment for being so inhuman. All he'd wanted was to be happy with her. "Hei. For me. Be human." He chuckled tiredly. "That's not so easy Yin." a kiss met his cheek. "Then let me give you a second chance where powers are accepted.
1. Chapter 1

The Dying Light of a Borrowed Star

Real quick I'm working on updating and editing this story because I've been focusing on TBONTB due to it's popularity. I'm gonna try to get the next two chapters of this story and HOTEE before I post the next chapter to that on which should give people time to put final votes as poll will close as of the posting of ch 18 on that one.

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I do not own DARKER THAN BLACK or RWBY they belong to their respective owners

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Skip to next **bold writing** to go straight to story. This will be a quick overview of Hei for those who are only RWBY fans or aren't to in to DTB

This story is going to be a crossover between DARKER THAN BLACK and RWBY with Hei from darker than black finding himself in the world of Remnant.

After a minor change to the events at the end of the second/third season of DTB. Hei uses his power to control the state of the energy in the gate to create a new world for everyone instead of the Pavlichenko's. With Hei being the creator he excludes himself from that world and resigns himself to whatever fate comes his way.

Now to give some perspective on for those RWBY fans that haven't read or watched DARKER THAN BLACK, (Hei, BK201/The Black Reaper) in relation to his abilities and his standing compared to the cast of RWBY. he is described on the official wiki as being, a genius. A master tactician who is very resourceful with everything from the environment to the clothes on his back and even his own blood.

He is also described as showing physical prowess bordering on supper human, with running speed, dexterous agility/acrobatics, muscle flexibility and strength being way above what a human should be capable of. (in the middle season/Guidin, his body is put under enough pressure to crush organs and kill a person but he breaks into the concrete a little, causing cracks under him and walks it off after the gravity power is lifted).

He is also not a contractor but is just as good at pretending he has no emotion that everyone thinks he's one including the "Syndicate" The underworlds version of the CIA or MI6. This would make him the perfect spy/infiltrator and no one would be able to read him unless he gets mad or sad enough to lose control. Both of which end with him either draining several square miles of all electrical power or to make him shed a few tears without actually sobbing.

His personalty is going to be the more caring side he showed when he was with Yin his most stable love interest. Not to be mistaken with a romantic side I mean it in the sense he will show more emotion as opposed to apathy. His personality will still be pragmatic and cold, hiding his real emotions and being straight forward with his "fake" personality while being brutally honest and indifferent to everyone when he uses his real personality.

As for the cast of rwby I'll keep them as they are in the show with slight changes to how they grow as individuals.

The story will follow cannon but It will focus on events from Hei's perspective for the most part. I won't try to squeeze Hei in because then he'll replace someone else so I'm going to add him in doing his own thing.

He'll do what he does because He wants to and he has nothing to lose in a new world. He's a realist not an idealist. He's In it for himself and if you're part of what makes his world go round he'll protect you. If not don't try and take anything from him because he will kill you.

 **~ STORY STARTS HERE ~**

" _thoughts"_

"Speech"

 _words with implied meaning_

Regular text

 **"Disembodied voice"**

 **"** _ **Memories/other"**_

~ 0 ~

Prolog

~ song- Tsubasa wo Kudasai ~

~ The Ether ~

 _ **"If my wish were to come true right now"**_

 _ **"I'd wish for wings"**_

 _ **"On my back like a bird's"**_

"well I guess that's what I get for trying to hold on to everything."

 _ **"I want to spread my wings"**_

 _ **"And fly in the sky"**_

 _ **"I want to make my wings flutter"**_

 _ **"In a free sky without sorrow"**_

"I just wanted to see them smile. one last time. To find _Her,_ but I can live with this."

 _ **"That thing I dreamt of as a child"**_

 _ **"I still dream of it, unchanged, now"**_

"I would've been happy just staying with you, watching the stars together with my telescope."

 _ **"I want to spread my wings"**_

 _ **"And fly in this sky"**_

 _ **"I want to make my wings flutter"**_

 _ **"In a free sky without sorrow"**_

"But I guess you were with me the whole time… huh."

Hei chuckled softly gripping his chest. He slowly opened his eyes. The only thing to greet him being an endless darkness. In actuality It was more a lack of light and color than a substantial mass of black. He chuckled to himself. The definition of black is the complete and total lack of anything so he supposed it was actual black that he was seeing.

He took a breath watching the abyss with a disinterested gaze. He felt weightless and his clothes moved around him as if he were under water but there was nothing pressing against him. _"Am I sinking, or floating?"_ he thought apathetically.

Looking down he brought up his hands finding it hard to wrap his head around what he'd just done.

When the gate had started resonating with Yin He'd made the hardest decision in his life. The gate was going to bring forth a further evolution in her and it was happening at that moment. He knew the world wasn't ready for something like what she was becoming.

He'd told Suou and July that they wouldn't have to worry about anything. That they'd be safe where they were going. That everything would be okay for them. The corners of his lips fell. Thinking back he swallowed the knot in his throat remembering the promise to Yin. He'd promised that he would stop her a long time ago, but… he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to kill her. So he'd done the only thing he could.

He used the power of BK-201. The power his sister had given him.

An influx of knowledge and images had spilled into his brain. Memories that weren't his but his sisters. How to use the power properly. It's true capabilities. The mathematical equations though complicated and slow going were doable in his head.

The energy coming from the gate had flooded his being ravaging the area surrounding him just as he completed the mental calculations and forced his will on the gate. If he was honest with himself it had felt like all his worries washed away as he used the power. Every second he gained more control and felt… lighter. Suou was crying and Yin was looking down at them while everything faded to a clean and empty white.

So many things had passed through his head while he sat there in what he thought was the light at the end. The most prominent of which was his realization of what the feeling of liberation was. That feeling must have been what contractors felt. Power. Power and a mind unhindered by conscience, obligation or guilt. Just the drive to accomplish a goal which he had just done.

He closed his eyes covering his face as he leaned back floating in the vast nothing. He remembered looking up reaching for the source of the light, an invisible force pushed away the dark but he could feel something pulling at his clothes dragging him back. The contractor part of him, the part that was Bai screamed to make some kind of deal to save himself, but everything he'd done. The actions he'd taken to get to where he was flashed through his mind. Reminding him of all of his deeds. Crimes against friends and foe alike. Crimes against the Innocent. Crimes against humanity.

He grit his teeth holding onto the shame, the guilt, the pain. Letting the emotions drag him away from that internal voice that screamed to fight. He felt his mind swim and his body ached as he let his hand drop. The light faded with each passing second somehow sensing his lack of will to go on. The weight of his actions crashed down on him, dragging him further away from it's quickly diminishing brilliance. He was pulled so far down the world around him faded into something darker than black.

A strong empty feeling that brought a bitter taste to his mouth filled him. It sent him to his knees and he felt bile rise to his throat. He closed his eyes his lips curling up in a tortured smile. He swallowed the bile and glared at the emptiness below him. "Serves you right Black reaper." He punched the darkness below him. "After everything you've done."

He staggered to his feet opening his eyes to the vast void once again. There was no source of light but he could see all around him as far as he could tell. He imagined it's what one would see should they find themselves in a dream with nothing in it.

His feet started carrying him forward as he lost himself in thoughts of the past while staring into the vast emptiness in front of him loosing track and sense of time altogether.

~ 0 ~

As the last of his memories played through his mind everything came full circle to where he was now and he paused looking up. Not a thing about his surrounding had changed, but his legs were aching.

Grunting he fell to his knees with a wince. A lot of time must have passed for his legs to be screaming their protest to being used any further. His chest hurt to or more so his lungs. He collapsed to the ground falling to his side with a pained gasp. His exhaustion was a near crippling indicator of the amount of time that had passed it must have been days or the equivalent of wherever he was. He grit his teeth choking back a gasp of pain as he reached up pushing himself off the invisible floor lifting his head up. He felt a disturbance in the area around him. A change in air pressure or something similar to when someone opened a door or a window causing the air to shift. He stood up slowly sensing a presence behind him.

He never tensed. He was to tired to do so and it didn't matter anyways. Whatever had found him was well within it's rights to do whatever it saw fit with him. He was done and he couldn't fight back if he wanted to. Well he could with the power his sister had given him but what was the point?

He sighed slouching forward letting his joints lock as he sagged down in on himself. deciding to pay little mind finding no point in reacting he just grimaced. _"Like I have anywhere to be. Besides whats one dead monster in the grand scheme of things?"_

A grim smile came to his lips as the thought registered to him. "God. Just how many people have I killed just to be close to my sister? How many have died for reasons that ultimately amounted to nothing but a bad decision Just so I could find a rumor about her." He lifted a hand to his face rubbing his eyes. He sighed quietly to himself.

Oh, there were a few he'd helped. The lucky few that he came across under certain circumstances. Those that had nothing to do with the syndicate or lived long enough to lose everyone's attention. But there was no avoiding the fact his hands were stained with blood, and rivers of it.

He sighed in resignation. "So many in the wrong place at the wrong time or stuck in a game much bigger and more dangerous than any one person could imagine." He quietly mumbled.

There would be no greater justice than to wander this dark emptiness reliving the moments he'd killed every one of his victims until he lost his mind.

If someone or more likely a god of retribution had decided to end him… who was he to argue. It wasn't his place to do so. He could only accept what came his way and work with what he had. "After all I'm only human."

A twisted grin played across his face. "I don't even have the excuse of being a contractor." He started chuckling mirthlessly. "I really am the worst kind of person."

The presence behind him drew closer. Two slender arms wrap around his chest as a head lay against his shoulder. He felt a calm feeling wash over him and the pain in his body fade away almost instantly.

"Don't be hard on yourself Hei. You did what you had to because you wanted answers; And to protect the people you love."

A few strands of silvery white hair flew in his peripheral tickling his cheek. He smiled weakly and sighed hanging his head. "No Yin, not all of it. I…" a slender finger covered his mouth as two soft lips pressed against his cheek. Not in a kiss but in a gentle show of affection.

"Hei, listen to me. We can't be together. not with what I am now. We're too different, but I want you to be happy so I'm going to give you a shot at a second chance."

He turned his head to look at Yin and wondered how she could even do that. She gently let go of him and floated around to the front of him looking deep into his dark blue eyes smiling softly. "The light of BK-201 still shines brightly. All that needs to be done is to cast It's light on a different world." She said warmly while pushing the corners of her cheeks up in a forced but very real smile.

Hei's eyes widened a bit and then closed scoffing lightly before taking a breath. "So, you're saving me again huh. Only this time it's goodbye? Isn't it?" He asked in his monotone voice, a slight warbled slipping through as he clenched his fists opening his eyes. Yin tilted her head nodding as she cupped her hands around his face leaning in slowly. Their lips met in a soft tender kiss this time with passion behind it. As she pulled back she had a forlorn look in her eyes but she crossed her arms behind her back floating just out of his reach, a small warm smile on her face.

"Goodbye Hei. I love you and I truly wish we could have made a family together, but." She sighed wistfully. "I think this is for the best."

He made a face and swallowed the words he'd been about to say. A sad grimace spread across his face as the world distort and his consciousness began to fade. "Pleas Hei, for me. Try to be human."

Those were the last words he heard as his vision began to swim and his vision faded to black. His eyes closed and he felt himself fall backwards dropping into nothingness once again.

~ CH. 1 ~

~ The Beauty & The Beast ~

Colors and images slowly drifted through Hei's mind accompanied by sounds and abstract concepts like emotions. Black hair and burning red eyes were very prominent but he couldn't put a face to them. It was a man though that he could make out. It seemed like countless years passed by in a second. He felt like he was drifting between waking and sleeping while sinking through murky water as if dreaming while suffering from a fever. Then everything started to swirl and fade to a dim gray. He opened his eyes to see a tall figure in very ornate armor looking down at him with an eclipsed sun hovering behind it. The light coming off of it was brighter than the surrounding dark sky but it had a darkness to it's core.

"It's time to awaken."

Were the words that passed through his head as a low humming noise filled his ears.

~ 0 ~

A light humming filled the darkness accompanied by a constant low rumble. The muffled sound of voices and shushing carried lightly on the air as a loud thud resounded within the dark compartment followed by an aluminum vent crashing to the floor. The loud noise resonated throughout the compartment with a loud echo and Hei's eyes shot open this time for real. A dark red glow slowly faded from his irises as he silently rolled on to his left knee getting behind one of the large crates lining either side of the compartment.

He looked around the edge of the crate near the ground, because let's face it no one looks up or down unless they have a reason to. From his vantage point he saw two people silently drop in through a ceiling vent. A young man followed by a young woman. They hit the ground with light thuds and stood by the broken vent cover.

They were both dressed in strange yet not at all unrealistic clothes. They were things you could find in a store but not something your average person would wear. The tall young man wore a black tux with red markings. An intricate white symbol with a red rose adorned the back and he wore a bone white mask sporting similar red marks on it and… _"Is that a katana?"_ Hei thought with an uneasy feeling welling up in his gut.

 _"With a weapon like that he's either in a gang or he's a contractor. normally someone wouldn't walk around with such an obvious weapon unless they had no reason to feel worried about carrying it."_

His eyes narrowed as his gaze drifted over to the young woman. She was beautiful with soft yet striking features and amber eyes that clashed beautifully with her light milky skin tone.

A pain shot through his head and he grabbed his temples. An image of a pale dark haired amber eyed beauty flashed through his mind. He didn't remember exactly where that memory came from but it fit his line of work. Killers always seemed to have the striking features. He knew from years of personal experience with the syndicate a pretty face was usually an assassin or an extremely annoying contractor.

" _She looks timid and her eyes aren't dull. She could be both, like Suou's old friend."_ He mentally sighed with memories of annoying blonds and dark haired government employees flashing through his mind. _"She could be an agent too."_

Hei shook his head slightly and continued observing the girl. She wore a more revealing female version of casual formal, with tight fitting shorts that resembled slacks. Dark purple leggings that faded to black covered the rest of her slender legs. She wore two inch heels and a sleeveless white dress shirt with a black vest that rested just under the swell of her breasts that sported a tux tail. She also had arm warmers and ribbons wrapped around her forearms all topped off with black bow on her head.

" _Hmm, not exactly inconspicuous and definitely…"_ He shifted his weight slightly his heavy coat just barely sliding across the ground. He stopped when he saw her bow twitch slightly. His eyes narrowed when her shoulders tensed a fraction of a second later. _"Or misleadingly conspicuous and effectively inconspicuous."_

He figured he could take them out if he had to. The girl looked skilled but not experienced and her weapon looked heavy. _"I'm sure I could dodge circles around her. Now, as_ for the guy."

He eyed the young man again as they began walking forward. _"Hmm, he looks much more experienced if the way he carries himself is any indicator, but a weapon that long has a major drawback even if he can swing fast all it takes is getting inside his guard and a quick slice across the throat would do the job."_

Hei took a long slow silent breath and relaxed. If it came down to a fight he'd be ready for it. Looking at the vent he started thinking and quickly examined the compartment around them finding sleek metal. _"I can end this quickly if I have too."_

He grabbed his wrist feeling the familiar bump and touched his belt fingering the device next to the buckle. _"I have my wire too."_ He slowly felt around his chest counting six handles, a small smile coming to his lips. _"If they attack they're dead regardless of the direction it goes. After all the one with options wins."_

Just as he started to stand up the girl spoke and Hei crouched back down, listening intently. The girl glared at her companion clenching her fists. "Why are we going to blow up the train we don't need to Adam! There are Innocent people on here." The young woman hissed in a hushed but angry tone. She had a distressed look on her face as if suffering from conflicting emotions.

The young man now identified as Adam didn't even look at her and responded with cold indifference as he took a few steps into the compartment. "All the people on this train are working for the Schnee Dust Company. Or support them by buying their products. Products gained through the abuse of our people. They deserve to die for the suffering our people have been through at the hands of humanity."

Hei rose an eyebrow in bewilderment at the venom in the boys voice. And the use of the word humanity. He had to be a contractor with the way he differentiated between the two, and yet no contractor would show such emotion like that so easily.

~ 0 ~

The young girls face fell and she looked down as Adam turned to her. She could feel his eyes on her judging her and she nodded. Adam turned back speaking quietly. "Blake the Schnee family is responsible for all of this and we have a chance to strike back at them."

Blake looked up in resignation. "Yes. I understand Adam." Her body went limp, her drive leaving her as she followed him.

Hei's eyes narrowed recognizing that look. The look one gets when they're about to turn away from everything they've ever known because they feel something wrong. That kind of conviction was dangerous. She just went up a couple of notches on the danger scale, but if he played his cards right he could turn her against the other guy. Contractors were pragmatic after all.

While Hei was contemplating exactly what he was going to do he realized the crate in front of him wasn't actually a crate at all. It started to unfold and stand up. What it folded out into was a sleek metal structure accented with glowing red lights. He backed away from the machine as it turned to the two at the back and raised its arm with a gun. "Halt. Intruders. Surrender and wait for an officer t-." the machine was suddenly cut in half by a red blade.

Hei's eyes widened as he covered his face flipping backwards and jumping high into the air to the ceiling of the compartment. He manipulated the particles around his shoes magnetizing them to the ceiling for a split second which was just enough to get a good angle. He took in the scene of more boxes unfolding into machines before jumping off and landing behind the wall the machines forming in front of the other two.

Using his powers to manipulate the particles around him he create a dead zone of sorts. In the past he'd learned that sensors and cameras didn't pick him up as easily when he covered himself in the altered particles. He didn't use it often though because the mental calculations needed were taxing but it seemed so much easier to do so now. So take that and add the two other targets in the compartment, the chances of him taking priority to the machines was highly unlikely.

When he landed behind the machines he crouched looking up and watched the two readying themselves. His eyes wandered to the red blade wielded by the young man. Seeing the katana cut strait through a robot wasn't anything special compared to most of the things he'd seen people do, but they were usually using powers or had a special carbon blade made for cutting through steel. Although lots of experience with the sword could give you an edge when doing seemingly impossible feats meaning this guy was nothing to sniff at. He'd have to reevaluate just how dangerous these two were.

~ 0 ~

Across the line of security drones the two readied themselves. Blake had seen the man leap from behind the robot Adam had cut in half her eyes following him as he jumped off the ceiling hiding behind one of the Schnee company security bots. She hadn't caught his face most of it being covered with a dark sleeve. All she'd made out was dark raven hair and a glowing red eye. The man was acrobatic, that was for damn sure and he moved fast. Faster than she could and that was dangerous considering she was a speed oriented fighter herself. Faster than her partner though that remained to be seen.

She looked at Adam and he tilted his head slightly, acknowledging he'd seen the man too and was thinking the same thing as her. He nodded a fraction of a centimeter that was unnoticeable to the human eye in the dim light. They were going to have to take him out and she was torn about it. He almost definitely wasn't a civilian but she didn't know the man from Adam. For all she knew he was an innocent huntsman hired to protect the cargo.

She clenched her fists getting low as her hand moved to the handle of her weapon Gambol shroud. She gripped the handle tightly adjusting her hold as she drew it taking up a stance. She nodded back as she kept her eyes on the man in the back. Adam took a small breath then suddenly lunged for the nearest security bot attacking head on tearing them to pieces while Blake took out the ones that got behind him.

~ 0 ~

Hei watched with morbid fascination as they took out the robots one after another with surgical precision and no wasted movements. It was impressive to say the least. It might be a tougher fight than he'd anticipated. Akin to fighting the hit squad of April, June and July. The two worked well together. Reaching into his trench coat he pulled out his mask and a knife getting ready for the rapidly approaching confrontation.

"Two versus one. Huh. They're nowhere near as deadly as the Russian or American agents they sent after me." Memories of massive fights taking him across towns and through buildings quickly came and went as a grim yet comfortingly familiar grimace spread across his face. "Thank god neither of them are like Mina."

With the last robot falling to the ground bisected perfectly Adam and Blake turned to him. They checked him out raising their weapons. The two slowly stepped closer to him readying their arms.

He got into his usual loos stance raising his knife, eyes narrowing behind his mask. Looking at the girl he tightened his grip on his weapon and took a step back. _"I can try and take advantage of the girl and use her to try and get out of this."_

He quickly changed his gaze to the boy Adam, holding his knife up. _"My second option is to play off Adams hate for the Schnee, whoever they are. Though It'll probably get the girl even angrier than she is and she'll lash out at m_ e." He sighed and relaxed his muscles. _"fighting my way to the entrance they made and escaping seems like the most logical choice."_

Yup his options weren't looking to good right now and his best bet for a non confrontational option would be the girl. The odds of that working were slim to none considering that in their eyes he wasn't supposed to be there one way or another. He definitely wasn't an ally but most likely was an enemy.

Taking a deep breath Hei slowly raised his free hand open in a playacting way. "Look I don't want any trouble. I'm just hitching a free ride. No need to get violent."

Hei saw the girl, Blake hesitate, loosening her grip on her cleaver like weapon. "It worked?" He thought wearily. Then he noticed she wasn't moving… at all. His eyes widened behind his mask when he heard a light tap and he felt the air around him shift . He bent his legs getting low pushing back. Leaning to the side he spun into a standing back flip and kick.

His shoe caught Blake in the chin snapping her head back knocking her into the air rattling her brain. She nearly blacked out as she landed on her back causing her to drop her weapon and grab her head moaning in pain. She hadn't been able to bring her aura up in time not expecting the counter.

Hei pushed off of the floor with his hands somersaulting in midair landing softly and silently on his left leg as he drew himself up leaning back. He watched the girl moan, rolling onto her side as she rubbed her back and chin. Looking up he saw the fading image of her where she'd been standing by the guy. "Damn it. She is a contractor." He cursed under his breath. "She must have noticed me from the beginning and been playing me this whole time."

His eyes widened and he spun to the side throwing himself into a cartwheel as Adam swung at him. The katana slashed a small cut on the bottom of his bullet proof coat as he cartwheeled around the boys unguarded left side. Their eyes met as Hei came back up despite both their faces being covered.

~ 0 ~

Adam swung his hips and shifted his weight pulling his shoulders around to swing the blade back around but a sharp pain shot through his left leg. He stumbled and slashed sloppily at the man who kicked in his left knee but the man Jumped off him just narrowly passing over the horizontal slash. The man took a few steps back but turned to glance over his shoulder noticing his distance to the wall diminishing quickly.

Blake groaned and looked up at the masked man in fear. He'd floored her with a kick that was aimed as a repelling move. She dreaded finding out what a full offensive one felt like. This man was dangerous, easily a trained huntsman. "Adam be careful he hits like a train I think he's a huntsman!"

"I know!" He shouted back making her recoil. "He just kicked my knee and It hurts like a bitch."

Blake had been drifting apart from Adam due to his extreme beliefs and the fact he lashed out at her despite her concern for him hurt. He was still her mentor and partner though. She didn't know how to respond anymore and just fell back on the age old place filler. "Are you gonna be alright?"

Adam grinned. "Humph." He rolled his head cracking his neck. "It's nothing my aura can't take care of, I'll be fine Blake."

~ 0 ~

Hei was cursing his luck under his breath. _"Shit. so those two are both contractors and if this AURA thing is his power, and it can heal him… shit. Just great."_

Blake looked towards the man and stood up while grabbing her weapon. To Hei's surprise it mecha-shifted to a short katana and a cleaver combo. Hei raised his knife again and got low to the floor, ready to dash or jump as needed.

~ 0 ~

Adam watched the man and grit his teeth favoring his right leg. He'd down played how much the kick had hurt and took note that the move wasn't just a distancing tactic. This man aimed to inflict as much damage with as little energy exerted as possible. The bastard had used him as a god damned spring board to get distance and hurt him at the same time.

While Adam was in thought Blake lifted her weapon up and rushed the masked man. She quickly closed the distance between her and Hei swinging her cleaver at his head while bringing her katana around to hit his hip. Her eyes widened in shock and awe as he jumped, spinning in the air just between her two attacks. He got inside her guard and swung his knife at her throat cutting it cleanly along the jugular. Her eyes bulged as his knife cut clean through her artery and she gurgled as the wound opened up.

Hei's eyes narrowed as black mist not blood sprayed from the wound and the girl faded just like before. His right eye caught movement drawing his gaze to take in the full range of motion. His eyes widened in surprise. The girl had done a cartwheel to get in his blind spot and moved into a back flip trying to catch him with the same move he'd just used on her.

Adam saw Blake catch the masked man off guard and rushed forward to end him. Whether Blake hit him or not. He couldn't do anything from a point of no balance like that and he'd either get kicked and then bisected or doge the kick just to get cut in half a split second later. Adam grinned and rushed forward with a yell of anger. "Ruahhhh!"

~ 0 ~

Hei saw what they'd just done and cursed under his breath before a cruel grin spread across his face hidden behind his mask. It all happened in a split second. Faster than Blake or Adam could comprehend the masked man had gone into motion. Hei touched the ground with his left foot bending backwards while twisting his head to the right dodging Blake's kick by a hairs breath.

Using the downward momentum, he spun and brought his already raised arm, with knife in hand, to the back of his head angled just enough to cause Adams blade to change trajectory ricocheting as it came down at him. The strike missed him by a good two inches.

Blake finished her backflip and her eyes widening as she brought her arms up to shield herself as the masked man continued his spin raising his right leg to catch the side of her head with a vicious spinning back kick. Her aura lit up and she felt it dip quite a bit. The force from the hit sent her flying knocking her against the opposite wall. She barely got her aura up in time to shield her back on impact feeling the protrusions from the cabin dig into her back. Her vision swam as she slid to the floor dizzily with a groan.

Adams eyes widened behind his mask. He was about to yell out to Blake but he grit his teeth and braced as the masked man slashed at him with his two pronged knife. There was far more weight and force behind the swing than a small weapon like that should have been capable of.

Adam stumbled back as he watched the man continued his spin, moving faster than even he could move.

He planted his foot and used the sudden stop to transfer the kinetic energy in his stumble to his hips and swung his sword up from the low position it was in, putting his hips into the attack adding all the extra force to increase the speed hoping to catch the bastard mid stride but it was no use.

Hei saw the blade coming up at him and moved forward twisting his body to match match the blades angle,sliding his legs together and folding his arms across his chest, falling slightly to the right and dodging under the slash just barely. A few strands of hair being the only thing cut.

He threw a hand out keeping himself upright and stepped forward planting his foot firmly shooting up pulling back his free hand as he lunged at Adam. He grabbed the young mans head in a full one hand grip hold and took a step getting right up next to Adam who was speechless with disbelief.

Using all the added momentum of his initial jump and everything building up to this he stepped passed Adam and threw the man down so hard his head snapped back hitting the ground first. Adam's head slammed into the steel floor with a loud crash the rest of his body hitting the floor so hard he bounced back up before coming to rest on on his side writhing in pain and disoriented.

Hei continued his movements with another step tumbling forward into a dodge roll, jumping forward covering the remaining distance to the broken vent before springing up and spinning around with his knife raised. He eyed the two he'd just incapacitated. He noticed they were both recovering slowly. Very slowly. To slow to be a threat. They groaned in pain and he lowered his knife.

Adam managed to roll to his hands and knees. He coughed spitting out a little blood before wiping his mouth. A couple yards from him Blake sat up slowly and gingerly grabbed her head wincing as she looking over at Adam.

"You okay Blake?" He asked in a gruff tone, spitting more blood out the side of his mouth before looking over at the masked man who was eyeing them with a calm and relaxed posture.

Blake nodded and then looked towards the masked man as well. "Yeah I'm alright."

Adam grit his teeth eyeing the man who had just as good as beat them in less than ten seconds. "Who the hell are you and why are you trying to stop the white fang!" Adam shouted in barely contained fury.

Hei watched them with a disinterested expression behind his mask wondering who the white fang was, and why these contractors seemed so emotional. Were they even really contractors? They seem to emotional and unprofessional. If they were contractors how could they not know who he was. The whole underworld has been after him for the past 5 years. His eyes widened remembering what Yin had said.

 _ **"Hei, listen to me. We can't be together. not with what I am now. We're too different, but I want you to be happy so I'm going to give you a shot at a second chance… The light of BK-201 still shines brightly. All that needs to be done is to cast It's light on a different world."**_

Looking down at the two in front of him he put his knife away. He stood as tall as he could, straightening his back and letting his shoulders drop. He'd taken them down without any real cost. It had taken some effort to not get touched but they didn't need to know that. As far as things went he won and he had control of the situation. "Tell me. Who are the white fang?" He said in his monotone voice charging some particles in the air around him. Blue electricity sparked streaking across parts of the compartment making some of the destroyed robots twitch increasing the intimidation factor for the two.

Adam scoffed and Blake growled quietly but both eyed the very metal floor they rested on before exchanging worried glances and then they looked back at Hei. Blake spoke with an angry and disbelieving tone. "How do you not know who the white fang are!"

Adam nodded in agreement, tightly wrapping his hand around his blades hilt. "We're the ones who fight for faunus rights to equality." He adding in a condescending tone.

At that comment Blake closed her eyes and turned her head away slightly, a small frown coming to her face. Hei noticed and wondered just how far apart these two must have drifted in ideology. One was a akin to a religious zealot and the other a questioning follower of a flawed faith. He didn't have the desire nor the patience to deal with either he just wanted information.

He sighed looking down off to the side quickly concluding that he'd never herd of the group before. That was saying something considering he was part of the syndicate for over five years and ran from the entire underworld for five more after that. Maybe he really was in a different world. Was it so hard to believe. After all hadn't the Pavlichenko's tried to create one and hadn't he done just that as well.

He frowned. _"I guess that proves you don't have to be a god to create things. That's not a comforting thought."_ He pictured all the people in the new world praying to a god that didn't exist. He sighed audibly. "Whats to say our world wasn't made in a similar way." he paused shaking his head. Down that train of thought lay headaches and sleepless nights.

He relaxed taking in the two before him with a disinterested gaze. His power started drawing from the energy in the cart causing the air around them to glow a dark gray with the concentration of negatively charged electrons. The light in the cart started to dim. The warmth left the air making the two shiver and suddenly feel weak.

~ 0 ~

Adam dropped his blade, his hands twitching uncontrollably as he fell on to his side. He struggled and looked over at Blake. His eyes widening behind his mask.

Blake was terrified. She could feel her aura being drained and the air around her was getting colder. She was laying on her back. Her hands were wrapped around her neck pulling at her collar and rubbing her throat. She could barely breath. Her eyes bulged slightly and saliva started dripping from the corner of her mouth.

The two looked up in terror at the man? The gray glow around him was drawing in all other light and warmth like a black hole.

Blake and Adam both felt the drastic changes and inescapable pressure choking them as their bodies went into mild shock. Being faunus they had a deeper genetic connection to their more primal instincts than humans on average and thus they could feel an instinctual fear as if they were in the presence of a predator. One that should be avoided at all costs.

 _"This killing intent."_ Blake's eyes widened further. _"No. This unmistakable indifference towards us. This power."_ She struggled to her hands and knees gasping for breath. _"He doesn't care. Were just in his way."_

Blake could feel the power flowing off the man in front of her, if he was indeed human. There were many semblances in existence but one that took the light, warmth and life itself from the world. That drew from others very souls and had this inhuman pressure to it. Only one word came to her mind. _"Monster."_

This person was like a force of nature. His ink black clothes coupled with his black hair and that hauntingly familiar white mask with a red frown on it. She gulped. "Grimm."

Adam couldn't look away from the man. He knew Blake could feel the exact same thing as himself. He pushed himself to his knees dragging his sword to him. He grit his teeth looking into those deep dark eye holes. Fear easy to see on his face despite the half mask. The figure seemed no more than a normal man when he spoke earlier. But now. Now with that cold indifferent voice. Like death itself. Adam could picture a monster beneath that mask.

The gray cloud warped and coalesced, darkening as it wrapped around the man. A dim blue light beginning to emanate from him. "Is that his aura?" The two faunus thought at the same time. That's when Adam and Blake saw it. As the light faded to darkness in the compartment, even without their faunus heritage they could see the glowing eyes behind the mask. They were a dark blood red that shone brighter the darker the compartment grew. The darkness washed over the compartment encroaching on the last source of light in the room. The blue glow around the man and the evil red glow behind that mask.

The two of them could hardly breath with the change in pressure. Shivers ran down their spines as the shadows tugged at their clothes. They both would swear later that they could hear whispers as the air whipped passed their ears.

~ 0 ~

Hei looked at the two in front of him and thought about what he was doing. Tearing them down after bringing them to their knees. He squared his shoulders back and flexed his hands, gray electricity sparking between his hands.

 _ **"Beat down those who appose you, and gain respect. Instill fear in those who would harm you, and you gain reverence."**_

He remembered those words well. But he couldn't remember where he'd heard them.

He continued drawing energy from the surrounding environment like the compartment and the destroyed robots thinking back to everything he'd learned about his power when the gate had activated. His sisters memories resonated with his and the details on how to better use her powers became a little clearer. It was similar to learning a trick like using your fingers for the nines in your times tables.

" _It's the ability to control and alter particles on the molecular level. Even altering reality is possible given a large enough power source or having the mental capacity and fortitude to calculate the technicalities of molecular structures. A regular human wouldn't be able to utilize this power to it's fullest potential due to emotions and pointless thoughts hindering their ability to calculate and envision what they needed or wanted It to do. A super computer would technically be god with this power."_

He gave a sad smile behind his mask and thought about Yin. "This power isn't something someone can control and still be human." He gave a dark tired chuckle, loud enough for Adam and Blake to hear.

"There's no such thing as good or evil. Only power and those who don't know how to use it. Humans were never meant to have absolute power. Because absolute power corrupts absolutely. So why? Why did she give it to me?"

~ 0 ~

Adam and Blake's eyes widened, hearing his words.

Suddenly the roof of the compartment was torn off in a horrendous screeching of metal making Adam and Blake flinch in pain as light and the warmth of the afternoon sun to flood in. The warmth from the sun provided a pleasant relief after the cold draining confines of the compartment but it was short lived however.

A giant mecha security bot in the shape of a scorpion had been the thing that destroyed the compartment. It was currently aiming a laser cannon at them. Blake's eyes widened even further as her hair whipped about her face in the wind. Adam clenched his fists around his sword staggering to his feet, cursing his shaking hands as the cannon readied to fire.

He could stop it if he could steady himself and activate his semblance. He tried to take up his stance but he stumbled to his knee and groaned in pain at the sharp twinge in his leg as a numbness from the kick earlier spread.

Blake's eyes widened in terror. She felt her legs give out and she looked on in defeat. It wouldn't have been much of a problem if they were in good condition but the man in the mask hit like a train and whatever he'd done had drained them considerably.

She griped her fists tightly and looked head on into the cannon.

~ 0 ~

Hei reached out with his power feeling it resonate stronger with the energy that the machine gave off. It reacted stronger than anything he'd ever pulled from before sans the gate. It was almost like instead of electricity or gas it used a purer fuel source. One that could be converted easily. It was almost like it was connected to the gate in some way.

Adam drew his blade holding it as high as he could from his downed position. He looked at Blake and tried to slide over to her wanting to protect her even if it might not work. He almost fell over halfway to her and his eyes widened when the robot's canon lost all its power. The machine crashed to its knees and fell over lifeless slowly toppling over the side of the train crashing to the forest below.

Adam and Blake's gaze moved to the man who was standing there his head tilted slightly to one side hand outstretched to where the machine had stood.

Hei took a deep breath and stopped drawing in energy as he turned around looking over at his current companions. Their mouths were hanging open in amazement at what he'd done to the machine. It inspired awe and terror at the same time. He stayed quiet and tilted his head in the other direction.

They flinched at his action wary of his movements. The overwhelming pull and pressure from before was gone but the power around the man was still very much so present. Adam sheathed his blade struggling to his feet taking up a quick draw stance.

Blake followed suit wobbling to her feet, her head was still swimming from earlier as well as the lack of oxygen but she was rapidly recovering. Her aura would have already assisted in her recovery from something minor like loss of breath or dizziness but when he'd drawn on the energy in the compartment he'd somehow drawn from her aura as well and it was slow in reacting now as if her aura itself was tired. Only now was she recuperating. It was far more rapid than usual as well despite the sluggishness she felt from her aura though. Soon she and Adam were almost good to go with only the physical injuries still hindering them which were more on the concussive and bruising side of things than crippling.

Blake narrowed her eyes and lifted her weapons holding them at her sides. She glanced over at Adam and crouched when he nodded, readying Gambol. Her finger twitching by the mechanism to mecha shift it into its pistol form.

Adam leaned forward fingering the trigger on his sheath. He looked dead into the glowing red behind the mask as his grip tightened on the hilt of his blade. "You think that scares us!" Adam shouted with a firm tone, trying to hide his fear.

~ 0 ~

Hei let out a small exasperated breath, his eyes becoming half lidded in annoyance. "I'm not trying to scare you I just want you to leave me alone. I don't care what you're doing here. I have no interest in killing you either." Hei turned profile raising his left arm keeping the sword wielding red head in the center of his vision.

"But If you keep pushing… I will kill you." The dim blue light started coalescing around Hei's hand, his head tilting down. "Your choice."

Adam clicked his tongue Dashing forward as Hei released the built up energy. The energy shot out in a scatter shot remiss of a shotgun blast. The air warped and parts in the metal floor disintegrated or warped.

Hei's heart rate jumped but he kept himself still _"What!"_ He hadn't expected much more than a flash of light maybe, at best a longer range to electrocute the boy enough to act like a taser gun considering his control over particle velocity and plasma combustion was so low. He only understood enough to electrocute organic material directly in contact with a conductor or within a foot of his reach.

" _The only time I ever did anything more destructive without knowing what I was doing…"_ Hei's eyes widened behind his mask and he clenched his fist, lowering it to his side. _"...It looked like "A" bombs had been detonated all over south America."_

He grimaced and released the rest of the energy harmlessly into the air not wanting to do anything irreversible.

Adam grinned as the energy that had connected with him was absorbed into Blush. "You know." Adam re-sheathed his blade as he began to glow a deep red color. "No matter how strong you are. If you use any kind of attack, I can turn it right back at you. Now Blake!"

Hei's eyes widened even further as the information was revealed to him. He stepped back and looked to the girl he'd neglected to keep an eye on. She was charging him.

"Damn." He jumped back as the girl rushed him slashing at his torso. He fell back into a flip but something blunt and heavy connected with his face cracking his mask. His vision blurred as he hit the ground rolling to his side springing back to his feet. "Shit."

The girl had used her power to make a solid shadow clone to get behind him while he'd focused on the boy. He drew a knife lifting it quickly as the girl readied herself.

Hei narrowed his eyes holding his free hand in front of him at the ready. He watched the girl carefully as a clicking noise met his ears followed by a loud blast. He spun around dropping on his haunches, his hair flying in the wind as the cart flew along the tracks. A few strands flying away on the wind as the buck shot spray passed over where he'd just been standing.

If Hei had to gander a guess he'd say the boy with the red hair was glaring at him from under his own mask if the way his jaw clenched and teeth ground together was any indication. He was glowing even brighter than when he'd last looked at him and the red marks on his getup were glowing the same deep red color as his blade. His swords sheath was smoking like it had just fired the shot too. _"This world is gonna take some getting used to."_ He sighed internally. _"I just hope it's not gonna give me as many headaches as mine did."_

Adam cursed in his head. This guy just wouldn't go down. His reflexes were faster than anything he'd ever seen and his reaction time was unnatural. The way he moved to avoid blows and the fluid way he'd moved after getting hit by Blake. It was like everything was choreographed. He moved flawlessly, meeting that perfect balance between effectiveness and energy expenditure while keeping momentum and flow between motions at maximum.

Hei took a deep annoyed breath glaring at the redhead through his cracked mask. His cold blue eye met the mask of the young man who's mouth dropped slightly before breaking into a smirk. It was like seeing the mans eye had helped him remember his opponent was only human and could be killed.

Hei cursed under his breath and stood up again brandishing his knife at the girl behind him making it spark with electricity to keep her at bay while holding eye contact with Adam. "Look. I don't want to fight. You have no reason to fight me either. Just leave me alone and I'll leave you to do whatever it is you came here to do."

Adam scoffed getting angry. "Do you really expect me to believe that. Why would you be on a Schnee shipment cart if you weren't private security or working for someone? Whats even more ridiculous is that you expect me to believe that you don't know what a faunus is."

Hei slowly let his arm drop and put away his knife relaxing his posture in a show of non hostility. You attacked me. If you stop I will to." A sigh escaped him as he gave an annoyed look from behind his mask. "Frankly. I really could give a shit if you believe me or not because its the truth. If I wanted to, I could kill you right now..."

The words Yin had spoken in their last meeting ran through his head and he looked down.

 **"** _ **Try and be human."**_

" _How exactly does one be human? What even is human? Technically speaking even contractors are. They're just more psychopathic and pragmatic. Sad thing is I can't even use that as an excuse for my actions. Yin said I did those things for the people I cared about and I am human so what does that mean? Being human for me is being a selfish greedy monster. Everything I ever wanted was to be close to the people I love and look what I did to accomplish that."_

He closed his eyes but continued to listen for any sounds of movement from either. _"But there are lots of different humans. I mean Suou wasn't even born human and she still showed humanity at the end. Maybe I should try something different."_ He thought back to all the things he'd done to make people happy.

Like getting Mao those treats he liked. Bringing Yin with him on assignments. Lighting up that park for that scientists daughter. Exhausting himself to humor others at functions he infiltrated. Cooking Suou's favorite food that one time. Saving July instead of leavening him for dead. Saving that annoying detective from her superior.

A small smile pulled up the corners of his mouth. _"I think it's time I started trying to be a better person. Maybe that's how I can be human."_

A resigned look fell over his face as he looked at the redhead and he sighed. "But I leave the choice to you."

~ 0 ~

Adam grit his teeth in fury drawing Blush from Wilt. "Do you think you're better than me! That I'm not worth the effort! WHY DON'T YOU JUST FUCKING DIE!"

Blake's eyes widened. The man Had told them twice already that he didn't want to fight. He was trying to avoid this conflict and even backed off when he downed them the first time instead of finishing them off. Now here he was disarming and Adam was trying to kill him. Granted who would believe someone didn't know about faunus or the white fang but still.

" _Why won't Adam listen?"_ Blake's blood ran cold when she took in what was behind the man. He was standing Right in front of the passenger portion of the train. There was at least 200 people in those other compartments. INOCENT people who had nothing to do with any of this. Most probably didn't even use dust passed house hold appliances and power.

"NO! Adam you can't!" Blake held her arm out as her partner drew his blade, glowing with the captured energy from before. He didn't stop. Without thinking she ran and jumped between him and the man standing in front of the passenger cars holding her hands up. A terrified expression on her face as her old mentor and lover raised his blade and swung it with a furious roar. The overwhelming energy rushed towards her and she closed her eyes waiting for the end to come.

" _Why? Why. Why cant everyone just work together."_ Old memories of waving signs at protests and trying to spread the message of peace and equality flashed through her mind. Then Adam had taken over and changed the way the White Fang operated. she'd left home to be more active. However, over the last couple of years things had slowly spiraled out of control.

Protests had turned from peaceful rallies to violent demonstrations. Peace and equality had been exchanged for fear and dominance. Friendship and understanding replaced for retribution and reparations.

As the hum of energy from the beam became deafening a tear ran down her cheek The warm loving faces of the two most important people in her life filled her thoughts. a small sad smile played across her lips. "I'm so sorry."

Just as she felt the flux of energy in front of her a hand rested on her hip.

~ 0 ~

This was it. On one hand he could dodge and completely avoid getting hit in which case the girl would die as would quite a few people in the passenger cars behind them. This had no negative consequences for him. He'd just watch some people who didn't matter to him die on top of the girl who'd attacked him. Nothing really to lose in that instance.

" _I could jump and use my wire to swing around and get the boy from behind. All threats gone and no traces pointing to me even being here. Just Two terrorists fighting and one dying of a heart attack after his fight."_

" _But on the other hand…"_ If he just held out his hand he could fill the charge of the negative particles in the energy and disperse them harmlessly. This would save the girl and the people in the carts but leave him open to an attack from behind as well as make him lose the element of surprise for a quick assassination.

" _Damn it Yin. You always did have the simplest requests which turned out to be more trouble than anyone would initially think."_

Hei put his hand on the girls hip pulling her back while at the same time sliding his hand in her pocket pulling out the cards he felt. _"Don't know if this is money but hey, new world different currency can't hurt to be prepared."_

When he touched Blake It startled her and she looked up seeing the white porcelain and cracked hole revealing his glowing red eye as he stepped passed her holding his arm out. She looked to his hand and her jaw dropped.

Blake stood mesmerized by the energy. It was spreading out like when you put your finger on a water hose. The ted beam of light was changing colors and dispersing into little bubble like particles reminiscent soap bubbles in the colors of the Aurora lights over Mantle in winter.

As the wave died down and the last of the particles dispersed the man put his hand down stepping forward. "I'll say this one last time. Stop." Hei clenched his fists, an annoyed look coming to his face as electricity sparked around him. "Or I'll kill you."

~ 0 ~

Blake watched the man step closer to Adam and her grip tightened on Gambol Shroud. Adam was completely focused on the man and a thought crossed her mind. She frowned, her hands gripping the hilt of Gambol Shroud tightly she didn't want to kill the man and she didn't think she could but she didn't want Adam to get hurt either. The sad truth however was that she didn't think she could go back with Adam to the white fang. She looked away over her shoulder and her eyes widened. She made her decision.

~ 0 ~

Adam was afraid. No he was terrified. His prowess with a sword was nothing to sniff at and he knew it. The hunters and specialist the Altesian government had sent after him had been tough but he could best most and counter if not hold his own against the strongest they'd sent after him. Winter Schnee was on that list as the strongest he'd faced and he could fight her to a standstill.

He sheathed Blush again taking up a ready stance as he looked into the older mans eyes. He'd never gone up against someone like this though. This guy was faster than anyone he'd ever faced. He couldn't cover as much ground in the way the Schnee bitch could but his acrobatics as well as his ability to counter and dodge were better than anyone he knew of.

He hit hard as well. There was no doubt in his mind that the man could kill with his bare hands even without his semblance. Thinking about that brought up the question of what his semblance was. It could draw energy from anything and build it up. It could disperse energy as a weapon or harmlessly considering how he stopped his counter. It was like a more versatile version of his own.

Then there was the electricity. The man had no dust on him that he could see, and yet. There was no mistaking it. He could conduct and emanate the high voltage plasma. This man was beyond deadly. His threat earlier was nothing to disregard.

"What do you want!" Adam yelled, trying to sound confidant. "Why are you interfering with our plans?"

Hei shook his head and shrugged. "Like I said, you attacked me. I don't even know what you want with this train or what it's carrying." Hei put a hand on his hip and leaned on his right leg.

Adams grip on his blade loosened looking at the man dumbstruck. He shook his head in disbelief drawing his sword, pointing it at Hei. This train needs to be destroyed now and I need the cargo so I can't let it reach town." Adam leveled his blade close to his chest gripping the hilt with both hands shooting at Hei Who narrowed his eyes readying himself.

"Don't kill him!"

Just then the train lurched causing Hei to stumble. He manipulated the particles around his feet to keep himself standing firmly while Adam stumbled and slipped passed Hei falling to his knee propping himself up on Blush.

Hei spun around his eyes widening as he saw the black haired girl getting farther and farther away from them. "She'd cut the coupling link. Clever girl."

Adam reached out a hand to her quickly shrinking form. "Blaaaaaaake!" The train disappeared into the distance leaving the two on the rapidly decelerating cart with the remainder of its cargo.

Adam fell to his hands clenching his fists. "You. This is all your fault!" Adam gripped Blush and spun around raising his blade but all he saw was a hand and then a sharp pain exploded just below his jugular before everything faded to black.

~ 0 ~

Hei looked down at the incapacitated man with a grimace. He was sure the girl had shouted at him when yelling about not killing the other. If he was gonna try to be a better person not killing was going to be a part of that he guessed. Shaking his head he crouched down and searched the unconscious man.

He stood back up holding a device that looked like an advanced cell phone and another stack of cards with numbers on them but this one was much larger and the numbers were bigger. There was also a wallet with nothing but a single phone number with the word Cinder scribbled next to it.

He pocketed them and looked down at the man before throwing out his hand and jumped off the elevated tracks as a zipping sound fill the air.

~ 0 ~

P.S. …smile


	2. Chapter 2

The Dying Light of a Borrowed Star

I do not own DARKER THAN BLACK or RWBY

~ 0 ~

" _thoughts"_

"Speech"

 _words with implied meaning_

Regular text

 **"Disembodied voice"**

 **"** _ **Memories/other"**_

~ Ch 2 ~

~ Goldilocks ~

~ Forever Fall Forest ~

Hei looked up to the distant sky shading his face with his hand as he looked at the setting sun. It was nearing nightfall again twilight staining the sky with its deep blues and purples as the warmth left the world. He sighed letting his arm drop as the last remnants of heat left the world around him and the final vestiges of light shimmered over the distant mountains.

It'd been two days since he jumped off the train and thinking back it wasn't the smartest decision. All things considered there was no telling what being found with a terrorist would do to him in this world and so being an infiltrator and staying true to fashion, he'd jumped ship so to speak and he'd been following the elevated tracks ever since.

Yesterday afternoon he'd seen helicopters or air carriers of some kind fly overhead to and from the abandoned sight and earlier today the remains of said card had been pushed towards whatever city or depot lay ahead by a push-pull locomotive.

If he'd stayed behind he might have gotten a ride to town but if he was in a different world he was ill equipped to deal with authorities. So with that in mind he'd leapt.

Early on he'd wondered why anyone would build train tracks elevated so high above the trees like that when cost efficiency would dictate otherwise. It hadn't taken long to figure out why. Monsters, for lack of a better word.

He'd labeled them as such considering the ones he'd killed had no real anatomy to speak of and disintegrated shortly after being dispatched. He also noticed how they actively hunted him while ignoring other surrounding fauna and flora.

They also constantly prowled around the red forest robbing him of the luxury of sleeping. He was running on fumes and the odd five minute break to recuperate. even if he could easily dispatch them with little effort numbers and energy were not on his side. Lack of food and sleep meant acrobatics were exponentially draining, and his power took a considerable deal of concentration and his sleep deprived brain was cloudy at best right now.

Even if he had tried taking a nap up in a tree constantly being woken up would lead to a bad mood, headaches, dizziness and poor judgment. Whereas a couple of days of no sleep would be his best bet. Granted his movements would become sluggish but he'd also cover more ground quicker. The faster he got out of this red forest the better.

Just as he reached a bend in the tracks a wolf like one of the monsters with fangs as large as is forearm darted out from behind a tree. This one was different from the others he'd dispatched before. It was almost four times as large twice the height and covered in ceramic or bone plating with spikes here and there. It lunged at him, throwing it's whole body in his direction slashing at him faster than any he'd seen so far.

The wolf came flying towards him and he leaned back as far as he could bending his knees at a 90 degree angle. He slipped but threw his arm out. A zipping sound filling the air. He pressed the latch on the retractable flying wire device in his sleeve as he fell backwards letting the wire pull him along the grass as he pulled out a dagger stabbing it into the ground.

The sudden drag made the wire go taught. When the device clicked giving a whining noise he let go of the knife and the wire sprung flinging him into the air as it dislodged from the tree retracting completely.

Despite his quick reflexes the monsters claws caught the edge of his cracked mask tearing it from his face. Just as he got out of it's reach.

While he hung in the air time seemed to slow down as he looked down at the broken remains of his porcelain mask cursing under his breath. "That was the last one Yin gave me." He growled as his annoyed dead eyes tracked over to the large wolf.

It seemed to grin at him and jumped towards him. Narrowing his eyes he pulled out another knife flipping it upside down in his right hand holding it by his left cheek.

As gravity took hold again pulling him down time seemed to speed back up. He met the wolf head on. His dead eyes now holding a cold vicious fire.

The wolf slashed a claw at him but Hei was ready. He turned his body stabbing his knife into the wolfs paw twisting it deep while grabbing it's wrist. He pulled himself around using gravity to help swing himself around and kick the mutt in the face.

Using the wolfs head as a launchpad he jumped to the ground reaching out for the knife he left in the dirt, slipping some wire through the clip on the handle.

The wolf landed hard against a tree splintering wood as it growled angrily at him. It's red eyes watched him with a crude intelligence as it kept weight off its paw with the blade embedded in it.

It slowly stood up far more cautious of the human in front of it than before. Most humans it had killed ran or fought while maintaining their ground. This one was different. It danced with danger while fighting.

The grim sniffed the air. It couldn't sense any fear. The only negative emotion radiating off this one was anger. Cold unrelenting anger.

The alpha beowolf Stood on hits haunches raising to nearly twelve feet in height. It was massive when it stood on its back legs. It's figure that of a crude human a kid with no skill might draw.

Hei pulled the knife from the ground tightening his grip on it as he rushed the monster.

The wolf howled and obliged it's prey tearing off to meet him in the middle of the clearing, kicking up dirt and rocks leaving gouges in the forest floor.

When they were only a few yards apart the alpha beowolf leaped for it's foolish prey swiping its claws from both sides.

Hei threw himself, hitting the ground and kicking up a flurry of red leaves. As he slid under the wolfs strike he latched some wire to the knife still embedded in its paw as well as throwing a loop of metal thread around its neck.

He rolled to a standing position jumping a few feet to the side as the wolf crashed into the ground behind him while he ran towards the closest tree throwing the knife in his hand at the ground behind the wolf as it rose and turned to face him.

Hei jumped pushing off the tree to get more altitude as the wolf charged at him rising on to it's hind legs again reaching for him. As Hei rose in the air he transitioned to a backflip, curling in on himself and only just dodging the wolfs arms as they swung to crush him from both sides tearing the bottom of his coat.

As the wolf fell to the ground Hei finished his flip pulling another knife from his holster as he landed on the wolf. He ran up its back throwing the knife into its shoulder between the armored plating with a thread connected to it. He stepped on the handle driving it deeper into its shoulder as he jumped off on to a high branch.

An old memory of one of his first kills came to mind as he looked down at the ground and stepped off the branch. On his way down the wolf jumped for him but the thread connected to the knife in the ground went taught dragging it back.

Hei pulled on the wire in his hand making the knife in the ground come loos as the wolfs own weight shot him back over the branch as it charged him, only he went the opposite direction wrapping the wire around the branch.

Hei crouched hanging upside down watching as the wolf looked up at him. All he needed was for it to jump, and it did. The wire around its neck tightened and Hei dropped of the branch Using his weight to pull the wire connected to the knifes in the wolfs body.

The wire connected to the knife in the wolfs hand tightened but instead of coming at Hei the knife on it's back acted like a pulley making the wolfs claw shoot for its own neck. He shot by the wolf not even worrying about the other free claw.

He landed on the ground and crouched down pulling on the thread to add tension the tree and the wolf's own body acting like a counter weight with his trap making his smaller frame enough to keep the wolf elevated. Hei closed his eyes picturing a forest at night in another world where he'd executed almost the exact same tactic.

He pulled hard on the thread connected to the wolfs neck a small frown marring his features as he heard the sickening crack of bones soon followed by a wet shlop as the beast own claws sunk into itself. It cut through its own bone plate, and into the black skin severing the head from the rest of the body.

Hei stood up and wiped his face clearing the perspiration from his brow. "That's what you get for breaking my mask. I only wish I knew it hurt."

As the wolfs body disintegrated he walked around picking up the knifes and metal wire. "I'm getting tired of all these wolves and bear like things coming out of nowhere." He said with an annoyed tone watching as the last of the body and gore evaporated in black wisps of smoke.

He scratched the back of his head in thought walking a few steps. "I can't keep this up. I've been awake for over three days. One back on earth and two here. Not to mention if I don't get any food I'll pass out eventually with all this exertion."

He sighed running his hand through his hair, flecks of sweat coming off. "I probably should have killed it sooner. I don't even know if it felt anything." He looked down at the shattered remains of his last mask.

"I need to find a town or city soon. I'm not gonna make it another twenty-four hours without one or the other if I have to keep fighting like this."

"I'm not to sure how much a room somewhere would cost but I can sleep on a bench if have to. I should be fine though." Hei reached into his pocket and pulled out the cards he'd lifted from those two the other day. They were white and had Arabic numbers on the four corners like most currency back on earth.

The money also had some things written on it. The language was very similar to English so, he was likely rolling in cash in American and European standards or he had a few days' worth in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean standards.

~ 0 ~

Lost In his musings he hadn't noticed how far his feet had carried him. He was already out of the woods and the lights of a city shone not to far in the distance. His eyes found a winding road with light traffic a look of relief coming over his face as he sighed letting his shoulders drop. "Thank god the roads close. I can probably reach it in an hour or two. Maybe if I'm lucky I can catch a ride." He said looking up at the darkening sky. "Hopefully they have continental breakfasts like in America."

The idea of food was torturing him. A package of fresh crispy bacon, six sunny side up eggs not cooked to much, a loaf of bread, a couple tomatoes, a cabbage, eight pancakes, four waffles, three slices of french toast, blueberries, strawberry jam, biscuits with butter, ten sausages and syrup. Lots and lots of syrup.

Hei's stomach rumbled and he let his head drop in defeat. "Stop it Hei. You're just torturing yourself."

As if to spite him and his new found hope of sleep and food, a multitude of growls resonated from the forest behind him. Turning around his eye became half lidded in annoyance as his lips drew into a tight line as he took in the appearance of all the creatures that were slowly making their way towards him from the tree line. It was like they'd come out en mass to stop their sole prey from escaping.

"I just can't seem to catch a break can I." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Guess it keeps me from getting complacent."

He opened his eyes and counted them. "Ten, twelve, eighteen, twenty five, thirty, thirty-two." He sighed. Thirty-two of those wolves stood before him and there was nothing but dirt between them. No risk of breaking or killing anything important. Sparks started to fly arcing from his body to the air and ground around him. The sky darkened even further as he started to glow with the built up energy he drew in from the immediate area. It wasn't much but it would more than do.

The wolves charged him, his dead expression met them eyes beginning to glow a dark blood red before he closed them letting that feeling of power seep into his very being.

The wolves howled and roared in response to the suffocating power as they closed in on him. Just as the first one closed the distance lashing out at him the world went silent. Time seemed to stop as Hei let out a tired sigh.

"I'm getting really tired of all the fighting. It's pointless." He opened his eyes tiredly. His irises were glowing violet instead of crimson and more of his sisters memories popped up in his head. A tear came to his eyes as the last one that came was of their last night together before she changed.

He clenched his jaw with a sour expression, his eyes meeting those of the wolf about to strike him. Violet meeting blazing red as a deep scowl formed. He hated these things in front of him. One of them broke his last gift from Yin. They needed to pay.

The claws flashed for his head it's claws stopping several inches from his face. The air seemed to warp around Hei in a perfect sphere pushing the wolf back while crushing the dirt he was standing on. The field around him sparked and writhed with power.

He looked down at his hands opening and closing them as more wolves slammed against his barrier. "Just disappear."

After speaking those words the light around him died and his eyes shone with the same dark crimson light as usual and the particles dispersed around him. The electricity arced between all the wolf like creatures. They howled and writhed in pain, or at least that's what he told himself.

A small cruel smile spread across his features as a thought occurred to him. "Your not animals, and your definitely not human." He tilted his head to the side the cruel smile becoming one of pleasure. "Which means I don't have to hold back." He winced gripping his head as he altered the composition of the particles and atoms that made them up. He had no idea what their anatomy was so the result was as much a mystery to him as it would be to anyone. Black blood sprayed everywhere as he tore them to pieces with his new found control of the power of BK-201.

He watched as their bodies disintegrated in the most gruesome ways with different parts decomposing instantly. Some erupting in clouds of gore and icor due to their molecular structure combusting.

In a matter of seconds they were all dead and the nightmare scene that he'd painted the immediate area past the treeline with was enough to make grown men and women sick. Hell was an apt name to describe the image before him, but that wasn't what he was thinking about.

Hei gasped hunched over holding himself up with a hand on his knee as he looked down at the hand opening and closing it. A few drops of blood fell to his hand and he reached up wiping the blood from his nose as he stumbled into a standing position looking off into empty space pondering a thought he just had.

"What did I do? How can I be human like Yin asked me too when I'm… When I…" His hands started shaking and he felt his legs waver. "I know I'm human… but I don't feel human _._ I pretend to be someone else all the time, I just." He closed his eyes holding his fists tight to stop them from shaking. "What is human, and how does it feel?"

He let out a tired breath his shoulders sagged and his hands fell to his sides as he turned around the bodies of the expired creatures evaporating behind him erasing all signs of his presence. "I'm a sad excuse for a human. I've done so much that I could never be forgiven for and yet I was never even a contractor." He let out an exasperated laugh. "I pretend to be normal all the time but still have no idea how that feels, just a few old memories of a sitting on a hill and not having a care in the world."

He continued walking just letting his feet carry him along the tracks. He looked up at the stars starting to shine in that special way only stars could.

"I wish things could have stayed like they were all those years ago." He whispered in a longing tone. The memories from before everything, of his sister and happier times watching the night sky with his telescope came to the forefront of his psyche.

He opened his eyes and let the memories slip away. "I don't need those anymore. They're just shattered memories and lost dreams that died a long time ago." A sudden pain griped his chest forcing him to his knees as he doubled over in pain.

(Song - shattered- trading yesterday, second half)

The memories of his sister came flooding back pushing everything else away. Her smile. The laughter. Buying her ice cream on a hot day. Watching the stars. The night everything changed. The people they killed. The blood on her expressionless face. His hands around her neck wanting her dead. The accepting look she gave him the last time he saw her. The constant searching.

He looked up at the sky with a hurt expression taking quick breaths as his shoulders began to shake.

Then Amber. The missions they went on. The short talks they had. The gifts and promises. Then the rivalry and the pain of losing everything important to you. Betrayal. Acceptance. Regret for turning away those who really cared. A goodbye that should have never happened the way it did.

He gripped at the dirt around him leaning forward as he felt a pain in his chest he hadn't felt for over a decade.

Huang, Mao, Misaki, July, Suou. The faces kept coming. Friends, enemies, allies, simple passers by, the people he'd killed, the ones he'd saved. The innocent, the guilty, the people in the wrong place at the wrong time, those he'd hunted down.

He fell forward onto his elbows as the memories filled his mind and the pain grew ever stronger. "Damn it. Why? WHY!" His eyes shut tight as his vision became obscured by the faces of people he'd never see again.

"HUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

He punched the ground hard pushing himself back on his legs. He looked up at the night sky and the shattered moon, tears falling down his cheeks. He reached out to the moon staggering to his feet. "Yin…"

Yin's face became the only one in his vision. All the times he'd come to her for information. The unreasonable misunderstandings. The attempts to appear human. Using her fingers to smile. Finally running away from everything. The revelation that she wanted a family. The love they had for each other. The fact he almost killed her with his own hands. The five years he almost gave up on her. Finally finding her again. Choosing the world over her, and in the end that warm smile and a second chance.

 _ **"For me, Try and be human."**_

He clenched his jaw fighting back the sobs and pain as he gripped his face. "Anything for you."

(end song)

 _ **"Smile Hei."**_

His jaw quivered and he took a deep breath trying to force a smile. He sighed dragging his hand down his face wiping the tears away as he covered his mouth. His hand dropped and a smile was in place.

"Okay."

The pain left just as suddenly as it had come and he found himself leaning forward about to fall over but his right hand was held from behind by a smaller feminine one just as _she_ had so long ago.

He turned and looked at who was holding his hand half expected to see Yin. He wanted to laugh at himself for even thinking something like that knowing how impossible it was. As his vision focused and his head stopped swimming he took in the persons features. It was a young woman who looked back at him with a worried face but it wasn't Yin.

Hei noted that she wore a black long sleeved t-shirt and torn denim shorts in a military green with biker boots in a black matching her shirt. She had blond hair paired with bright lilac eyes. "Hey mister you okay? You looked like you were having a heart attack."

Hei's eyes widened to comical levels as he rubbed the back of his head in his pretend nervous tick, "Ha ha ha, no I just have a bad headache I've been up for the past couple of days." He had to play the idiot if he was going to take advantage of a stranger's kindness. He shifted his frame of vision to look just passed her head while making it look like he was watching her giving the illusion she had his full attention. Taking in what was behind her he saw a yellow motorcycle.

"Wow really?" She checked him out noticing for the first time the foliage on parts of his clothes and the torn state of his coat along with the distinct smell of wet dirt from underbrush. "Fall off on the wrong side of the tracks or something?" She said in a teasing tone while grinning as she rubbed her nose.

Hei Laughed halfheartedly and sweat dropped. "Was that supposed to be a pun?" he asked in his innocent voice.

The blonde looked at him with narrowed eyes and poked his chest with a lot more force than he expected. "Are you saying I'm not funny, or do you just have no taste for good humor. Huh? Well out with it."

Hei looked at her in utter bewilderment. Was she serious about what she just said or was she just trying to get a reaction out of him? Either way that motorcycle looked awfully convenient and he needed to play his cards right. A hot five course meal could be just a short drive away if fate decided to smile on him.

He punched her arm lightly and laughed in a believable way, at least to anyone not trained in spotting a lie in a picture full of them. No I love humor, your pun was just so much like real life… it was a joke and you were the punch line."

The blond girl just stood there without making a noise getting a glassy look in her eyes.

 _"Oh no, I fucked up."_ He mentally made a catholic cross and kissed his five course meal goodbye, but then the girl burst out laughing making him question her sanity. The blond grabbed her stomach almost falling to the ground as she doubled over.

Hei grimaced and tried backing up but she grabbed his coat leaning on him as loud guffaws of laughter erupted from her slender frame. She stood up and wiped a tear away as she looked at him grinning widely. "You know what. You're alight." She said right before she punched at him.

Hei's eyes widened. His reflexes took over making him reflexively dodged to the side of her strike by swaying just a bit. He spun sliding past her arm and into her guard the both of them now chest to chest.

The girls eyes widened but before she could react a gloved hand wrapped around her throat. She felt her mouth go dry at the sight of his other fist right in front of her nose.

He'd stopped the exact moment his fist came in contact with her. She'd barely felt the leather on his glove. _"Holly shit he's fast. There's no way I would have reacted in time to use my aura."_ She gulped and laughed nervously.

Hei suddenly backed up cursing under his breath. _"Damn I'm way out of practice I've only been up for about two days and I'm already reacting on reflex, fuck."_ He looked at her expecting her to be scared but she looked at him with admiration and, was that respect he saw?

Was she impressed? "Damn. I mean you could have broken my nose and I'd have kicked your ass for it but, damn." She whistled in an impressed tone folding her arms leaning back a little. A beautiful yet immature grin spreading across her lips. "Nice reflexes. You a hunter?"

 _"A hunter? I'm assuming she doesn't mean the conventional type. That girl on the train also mentioned it after seeing how I fight. So what's a hunter?"_ Hei wondered as he watched her. Giving her a curious but wary look.

The look on his face was easily recognizable. It was the same one her uncle gave her when she or her little sister asked about his assignments. The look that said he was debating how much he should say if anything at all.

Hei rose an eyebrow as she seemed to get giddy with excitement.

She grinned even wider. "No wonder you were able to stay awake for two days in grim infested territory and just have a headache."

She put her hands behind her head swaying side to side lightly, crossing her left leg behind her right still grinning that Cheshire grin. "That's like totally cool. I'm training to be a huntress at Signal Academy right now and I'm gonna be going to beacon next semester. I got my acceptance letter a couple months ago."

Hei had been grasping at straws to come up with a game plan and a story quickly taking in everything she said. He hadn't even given her a response yet and off she went rambling. _"Thank god she talks a lot."_

He didn't know if you had to have credentials to be a _hunter_ though so he played it safe. "I have the training but I'm not sure you'd call me a hunter and I work alone so I can't tell you if I'm anything special." He said in a humble tone holding his hands in front of him in a placating gesture.

"Still you must be pretty strong to stay up for two days in there during the summer." She gestured behind him to the red forest. She looked him up and down. To his surprise and amazement she smiled even wider if that was possible. "You don't look like you've got any weapons on you."

Hei resisted the urge to flinch forcing out an easy relaxed smile. _"Do hunters carry special weapons or something that signifies that they're who they say they are?"_

So you're a close quarters hand to hand combat specialist right? right?" She asked, her hands held together in front of her chest. She was bouncing up and down on the spot like a kid who was about to get their favorite treat eager to get a quick response.

Hei nodded. "yeah I…"

"Woo hoo!" she shouted throwing her arms in the air and jumping. "fists rock!"

Hei sweat dropped again at being interrupted and resisted grimacing or facepalming at how annoying she was. While he watched her she kissed her fists and pounded them together in front of her chest giving him a fierce burning look.

He sighed. She was just a teenager as far as he could tell. One training to be a fighter or soldier. The concept of hunter was still strange but if you could go to school for it and make a career out of it, not to mention the prospect of using weapons. It must be something along the lines of those two.

Thinking on it, her behavior didn't strike him as someone trained to kill other people. More so to fight in tournaments. He thought about the word hunter and all the references to the word he knew of from earth but nothing struck a cored.

Images of the black monsters came to mind. "Maybe they hunt those things for sport or something like that. Then again I doubt things that deadly would be a spectators thing and they dissolve upon death so no trophies. Hmm. A more specialized form of security? Like an exterminator. Hunter…" His eyes widened. "They train children to hunt those things? But why? I could barely dodge all their attacks."

~ 0 ~

The girl watched The stranger in front of her quietly, her face growing more and more annoyed by the second. He seemed to have drifted off into his own head but he was still moving and looking around like he was thinking about something really hard.

She waved a hand in his face but he didn't respond. Now she wasn't a vain girl… okay maybe a little. But no one likes being ignored. She put her fists on her hips and struck a sassy pose huffing up at the guy she'd just met trying to get his attention again.

Hei was dragged from his incomplete thoughts by the sound of huffing. He blinked a few times remembering where he was and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry I was thinking about something important."

Hei held up a hand making a fist before holding it out to the girl who looked at it questioningly before giving a grin bumping her fist against his. "So you were thinking about me huh."

Hei's eyes opened wide in disbelief. _"This girl…"_ He shrugged smiling. "Yeah I was." The girl deflated a little at his unexpected response looking a little taken aback. "Do you think you could help me out and give me a ride into town? I'll even treat you to dinner if we make it before all the restaurants close." He asked in a carefree tone.

The girl looked at him and blinked a couple of times before getting a sly smile on her face. "Well you sure do work fast huh mister?"

She took a couple steps closer to him with a smoldering look in her eyes as she slid a hand along her waist while tapping her bottom lip before curling her golden locks around her finger. "You look a few years older than me but." She got in close to him and put her arms around his neck leaning against him. "I'll make an exception for you." She winked.

Hei just looked at her like she was crazy but then a light bulb went off in his head. He wrapped his left arm around her lower back and pulled her close, sliding his other hand up her side ghosting over her chest bringing his fingers to her chin pulling her face closer to his.

He looked deep into her lilac eyes and spoke in his confidant husky tone with a flare of charisma to it. "Well I was just offering dinner for a favor. You scratch my back I'll…" he trailed off and slid his hand up her back slowly tracing a finger along her spine and then back down. "I'm sure you can use your imagination." He smiled that innocent and disarmingly charming smile with a slight tilt to his head and half lidded eyes.

The girl shuddered at his touch. A fierce blush making her face glow like the setting sun. She felt her neck shoulders and chest heat up as his eyes looked deep into hers. She was just teasing to get a reaction out of him, but now she wasn't so sure it had gone as planed. Her heart was beating like crazy in her chest and she was starting to worry where exactly her little game was leading.

Now yes, she was a huntress in training and yes she could take care of herself rather well but hewas a hunter already at least in terms of training and a few years older with some serious field experience to boot. In all honesty, she had offered even if she hadn't meant it. Not to mention the legal age was 17 for buying smokes and consenting to sex even if she were still technically under age for a few more months.

He was just looking into her eyes with those dark blue orbs, his arms secure around her. The suspense was eating away at her nerves and she slowly leaned in when the tall man started chuckling. She blushed even deeper and looked away a cute pout coming over her face as she smacked his chest. _"Ooooh! the nerve of him."_ She couldn't believe she was beat at her own game.

Hei's chuckles quickly turned into a genuine soft laugh, the first in almost a decade. It felt nice. He actually couldn't remember the last time he laughed like that. He was sure it wasn't much latter after that night on the hill before everything changed though.

Looking at the teen in front of him he couldn't help but notice how the look on her face reminded him of Suou when he'd told her to belly dance for hours on end. Priceless, and this time he could laugh because there was nothing serious weighing his mood down. _"Well…"_ He slapped himself mentally. No this time the situation wasn't serious. It felt nice to not be on guard. He let his arms drop to his sides and let out a content sigh to calm down from that unexpected laugh as he watched the young blond shuffle about and kick at the ground bashfully.

" _Maybe starting fresh isn't such a bad thing. No syndicate, no CIA, no MI6, no PSIA, no Organizations. Just a blank slate."_

The girl looked at him and blushed turning away slightly feeling embarrassed. Then she stuck her tongue out at him and "Humphed. No fair, you can't just toy with a beautiful young maidens heart like that." The girl rested her head on his shoulder and traced circles around his chest. "She'll start getting the impression you're serious."

Hei sputtered looking at her with wide eyes and then narrowed them seeing the sly smile on her face. "Well played beautiful young maiden." Hei said in his casual voice. "By the way my names Li, Li Shengshun." he held out his hand and looked at the girl expectantly.

The girl looked at his hand and then up at him blushing lightly at his comment about her being a beautiful young maiden. _"Oh, come on get over it you're just having a laugh with this hot charming hunter who. No. Bad brain calm down hormones!"_ She took his hand with a beaming grin and shook it. Then she took a couple steps back smashing her fists together again with a wide confidant grin on her face. "Names Yang Xiao Long, you better remember it."

Hei gave her an amused look, the corners of his mouth raising slightly. "So, Yang. You gonna give this hot charming hunter a ride to town." He said nonchalantly with a wink, jabbing his thumb to the side at the city in the distance.

Yang's cheeks were burning at the double meaning to what he just said and she was wondering if she'd accidentally activated her semblance. It didn't help that he just jokingly said exactly what she had honestly just berated herself for referring to him as in her head.

" _Calm down girl were just poking fun at each other."_ Looking up at Hei with a confidant grin and a light flush to her cheeks she pointed behind herself at her bike using her thumb. "Sure. hop on cowboy."

Remembering a country song he'd heard playing on the radio for a few weeks during one of his trips to America he walked up next to her and quoted it trying to get one last rise out of Yang. "Save a horse ride a cowboy." He whispered in her ear as he walked by her.

Yang's eyes widened and she blushed darker than ever before. Her eye's widened and she stuttered incoherently before quickly walking to her bike to hide her face by starting it up. She conveniently forgot to offer him a helmet or wait for him to get situated as she took off. _"If he falls off and just so happens to hurt himself it's totally not my fault. He definitely has it coming for that joke."_

When the bike started up the girl revved the engine taking off in first gear but quickly accelerating as fast as possible, She opened the throttle pulling back making the bike pop-a-wheely.

It almost threw Hei off but he tightened his thighs around the back and held on tight leaning forward as the bike landed again. _"Ow. Mental note to self. Do_ _ **NOT**_ _flirt with girls with I should tone it down."_ His expression went back to the usually apathetic look he always wore in private or behind his mask since Yang couldn't see his face.

Sighing he looked up at the sky with melancholy. "I'm working on it but forcing myself to act like this won't help. The good old saying, fake it till you make it doesn't always work. You tell yourself a lie enough times and you'll believe it eventually, but lie too much and even you wont believe it."

~ 0 ~

The city was named Vale or so the signs they passed by in the long wide tunnel after getting up on the bridge had said. Hei was in awe of some of the things he saw in the city as they passed giant sky scrappers and roads packed with shops. It was very much like a cross between Japan and America or Britain. The only difference was the technology. Everything was a few years, maybe a decade more advanced but the architecture looked pretty dated, not that the buildings were old at least they didn't look it.

He continued to take in the city as Yang steered her bike through traffic. He saw a library down one of the roads they passed and made a mental note of the address so he could find it later and do some homework on history and laws as well as politics. It was always good to know where oneself stood and the way things worked.

~ 0 ~

Yang looked over her shoulder at him for a second seeing him looking around like he'd never been to the city before. She raised an eyebrow and wondered if it _was_ his first time here or if it was just so different from the last time he was here. "Huh. I wonder where he's from. Looks Mistraly but he doesn't have that accent."

"Hey Li. Have you ever been to Vale before?" Hei looked at Yang and then forward with a contemplative look on his face. "Can't say I have. I've spent most of my life in the field." He cursed mentally at letting that little bit slip. "My family was part of an organization that had us traveling a lot. Usually places in the middle of nowhere. We never had much time to see the sights."

Funny enough everything he'd said was true he'd just left out enough information for her to fill in the blanks herself. It worked every time. Tell people just enough and you can get away with just about anything while they make up the story for you.

Yang's gaze returned to the road while she pondered what Hei had just told her. A contemplative look crossed her features but Hei couldn't see it. "Does that mean you're from another Kingdom or a frontier town? Do you just focus on the mission all the time like some kind of workaholic?" She cringed at the thought of working so much you lose sight of everything around you.

Hei took advantage of the fact she asked more than one question and ignored the first. "Yeah. You could say I'm a bit of a workaholic." He responded with a carefree tone. A kingdom was probably the same thing as a country and he didn't wanna say something that would give him away. _"I need to get to that library and lock myself in there for a few days to get as much information as I can on this place"_

Yang Shook her head in bewilderment. She'd never understand how some people could live like that. "Like, for real who jus…"

Yang was pulled from her thoughts by a tap on her shoulder. She looked up seeing a red light and hit the breaks just in time to come to a smooth stop in front of the white line. A semi truck passing not even two feet in front of them. "Oh thank Oum." She put a hand over her chest letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She slowly turned to look over her shoulder grinning bashfully while rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."

"Sorry about what?" Hei asked.

Yang's eyes opened wide and she looked at Hei with an incredulous look. "We almost ran a red light and crashed! Weren't you paying attention!"

Hei had been paying attention and unbeknownst to Yang he'd actually magnetized her bike to the street just in time to stop. The breaks on the bike wouldn't have been enough with his added weight, their velocity and inertia wasn't something she would have been compensating for. But she didn't need to know that.

He rubbed the back of his head. "Well you came to a perfect stop. I thought it was intentional."

Yang looked mortified. If she'd just kept her mouth shut she'd have been able to ignore it but now she looked like an idiot for almost crashing. She was about to apologize again when she herd a noise.

She looked down at Hei's stomach. It growled again and he pointed to the right at an all you can eat family restaurant that served all kinds of food from opening to closing. "Can we go there?"

Yang sweat dropped and almost face faulted. "We almost got hit by a semi and your thinking about food!"

"Well we didn't so everything's fine right?" He said in an Innocent tone shrugging. "I mean your the one driving after all."

Yang's cheeks flushed as she started sputtering. "But you, we. That has nothing to do with it!" She punched his arm with an embarrassed look on her face. "Don't you know you cant point out a ladies mistakes it's un gentleman… like." She covered her face and groaned holding a hand up with one finger raised. "Not a word. Not. One. Single. Word."

Hei was honestly enjoying her turmoil but decided it was best to be nice. Civility and all that. He held his hands up in surrender and then made the motion of zipping his lips and locking them then throwing away the key.

Yang eyed him and then nodded with a huff. "Good."

Hei shrugged with a small charming smile pointing at the restaurant again. Making Yang groan. She was about to punch him off her bike when he spoke up. "You never actually told me you wanted to pick the venue. I just picked something that had some of everything." He scratched the side of his nose in embarrassment. "If you don't wanna eat there that's fine. You can pick if it means that much to you."

An abashed look made its way to Yang's face and she looked away. She really hadn't specified that she wanted to pick the restaurant and here he was trying to be fair and pick something with enough variety for the both of them. "I'm such a bitch." Yang moaned softly to herself, revving up her bike when the red light changed to green.

She crossed the intersection and changed lanes, turning into a parking lot she used regularly when she came to town. They got off and stretched. Yang ran her hands through her now free hair letting it fan out while preening at the looks she was getting despite being in her casual clothes. She loved the reactions her hair got from people, it made her feel good about how much effort she took in maintaining it.

Hei just decided to stretch back and do a small routine to limber up after the almost hour long drive with the awkward position he'd sat in. Yang as well as quite a few people around on the sidewalk watched with mild amazement at his flexibility. Especially when he bent all the way back putting his hands on the ground lifting his legs, going into a handstand before pushing off the ground and landing perfectly straight.

"Ten points!"

"You go bro!"

"Damn that was cool!"

"I wonder if he's single?"

"Do it again. Do it again."

A few more odd cheers and comments came his way as Yang gave a wolf whistle while slow clapping. "Nice moves there lady killer. Mind telling me how its done?"

He gave Yang a deadpan look and then grinned. "Belly dancing."

"Ehhh!" Yang couldn't believe his response and burst out laughing letting out an un-lady like snort. She smacked her hands over her mouth and nose a flush coming to her cheeks before she shot a dirty look at the now smiling Hei who just zipped his lips again. She nodded in approval folding her arms over her chest. "Good you're learning."

He shook his head at her in amusement and sighed, a serious look coming over him not a second later that made Yang feel uncomfortable. He watched her as she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Getting tired of waiting he pushed her shoulder lightly and spoke up. "Well where do you wanna eat?"

Yang's eyes widened comically and she almost choked out of embarrassment at forgetting that he was waiting for her to pick a place to go. On top of that he didn't know the city so he was also following herself who currently wasn't actually going anywhere.

She held her hands up and apologized before putting one hand on her elbow and a finger on her chin striking a thinking pose. "Well I know where I wanna go. They have the perfect steaks and all kinds of gourmet foods at good prices. I hear they have the best Strawberry Sunrise too." She grinned evilly to herself in her mind. _"He doesn't need to know you have to buy a Twenty Lien drink every ten minutes or so."_ She thought with a devious smile, her back turned to him. _"Retribution for all the embarrassment he's put me through. I'll teach you to try and one up Yang Xiao Long! MUWA HAHAH HA!" S_ he though in an evil voice.

Hei shrugged. "You had me at steak."

"Yes!" She fist-pumped while squealing in her head at how compliant he was. Now call her greedy but she just had to try her luck a bit more. "You see Li. The thing is you have to be dressed up nice to get in to the place." She looked at him trying to imitate her younger sister Ruby's puppy dog pout.

Hei rubbed the back of his head with a defeated sighed. "You want me to buy you clothes now too?"

Yang nodded her head with a smile that could blind you if you looked at it too long, kinda like the sun. "Okay, we'll go get you some clothes, and only clothes. Then we're going to get food." He eyed Yang. "No if ands or buts about it alright?"

She squealed out loudly this time and hugged him. _"Sucker."_ Jumping back She turned slightly and spanked her butt grinning, no "Butts, but mine." She laughed. "Eh eh, what'd you think?"

Hei gave her a deadpan look. "I'll give you an A for effort but I realized something." He walked up to her with a slight swagger and pointed at her nose making her go cross eyed trying to keep his finger in sight. "People like you are the reason love is a joke without a punchline."

Yang gave an exaggerated gasp holding her hands over her heart. "You have no idea how hard it is to be funny in a society that doesn't appreciate humor. "Sniff. Oh the inhumanity!" She said dramatically, closing her eyes placing the back of one hand on her forehead while spinning around as she fell against Hei. She opened one eye to look at his face with a grin.

Hei shook his head looking down into her lilac orb. "No. We appreciate humor, you just killed it."

Yang's eyes opened wide as she looked up at him dumbfounded with a blushed. "Hey I'm not that bad… am I?" Hei just looked at her raising an eyebrow. Yang stomped and pointed at him accusingly. "That's it mister that's two outfits now!" She huffed grabbing him by the collar as she spun on her heel and walked off down the sidewalk dragging him along backwards.

Hei stumbled and pleaded with her to let him go while he half halfheartedly tugged against her hold. When she didn't turn around he gave a resigned sigh and relaxed his face. "Well if she's having fun the chances of her asking question that I don't have answers to are lower." Hei shrugged and followed letting her pull him around so she'd feel in control.

 _"I wonder if me being aware of the fact I'm acting a certain way to stack the deck in my favor makes me a bad person or just smart?"_ Hei looked up and his eyes widened, "why would that matter to me? It's never bothered me before?" He looked up at the shattered moon thinking how well it reflected his life. "Maybe I'm just going crazy." He sighed.

~ 0 ~

After being dragged around by Yang for an hour or so and taking in the sights while looking at the displays of just about every store they passed Hei began to wonder where exactly they were going having passed several clothing stores on their way around town.

"So, Yang. Not to be rude but why did you park your bike so far from wherever it is we're headed. I've seen several parking spaces since. Not to mention, where are we going exactly? We've already passed several stores that sell clothes. Good ones at that." He looked at the one they just passed and sighed seeing fancy suits, designer skirts and blouses. "Like that one." He said pointing back at it.

Yang looked back at him with a big grin as they crossed an intersection and giggled "What? aren't you having fun with little old me." Yang pulled him in close wrapping herself around his right arm looking up at him with bright lilac eyes full of life and excitement as they continued their trek. "Don't you want to spend more time with a sexy young Woman" she said pushing her breasts up against him.

He sweat dropped and gave a halfhearted nervous laugh. Trying to hold his right arm as far from himself as possible. He was good at faking things but touchy feely was not on his list of things he liked to do.

Yang laughed and punched his arm. "I'm just messing with you. We're almost there by the way." She pointed to a big store across the street at the end of the block.

Hei looked up at the name on the front of the clothing store. "Schnee Appeal W&W." He read aloud.

Looking at the front of the establishment he noticed the security at the door and the fancy machines that were unnoticeable to those untrained in espionage and infiltration. Topped off by the fact the store was several stories tall and had jewelry displayed out in the open with no one hovering over them it had to be an extremely expensive store with the owner having enough money and power or a good enough insurance to not mind if someone _attempted_ to steal something.

"Yang. Why do I get the feeling my wallets about to attempt suicide." Yang put a hand on her hip while rubbing a finger under her nose and smiled a wide toothy smile at him cocking her hips as she pushed her chest out. "Because he's about to spill his guts out for me."

With a loud sigh he let his head fall and praying he had enough for this and dinner as Yang proceeded to pull him across the street and in to the store.

~ 0 ~

And that's another rewrite in the wraps. Hope y'all liked it.

Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts. I love constructive criticism. It helps me improve the quality of my writing.

Also if anyone has stories they'd like me to read and review in return let me know and I'll give em a look.

One last thing. People tell me I should get a Beta reader. Does anyone know any good ones that have the time to help. If so pm me please.

P.S. …smile


	3. Chapter 3

The Dying Light of a Borrowed Star

I do not own DARKER THAN BLACK or RWBY

~ 0 ~

" _thoughts"_

"Speech"

 _words with implied meaning_

Regular text

 **"Disembodied voice"**

 **"** _ **Memories/other"**_

~ Ch 3 ~

~ Shopping, Coffee and a show ~

As the two walked into the Department store Yang let go of Hei and ran to the middle of the extravagantly decorated entrance. She turned in place examining everything around her before looking down and gasping at the ornate mural made out of the marble she stood on. "Wow."

Grinning, Yang took an intimidating pose closing her eyes while putting her hands on her hips taking a deep breath. "Ah. The sweet smell of Chanelel, Blurberry, Harmeas, Prade, Guchi and Versaise.

She looked over her shoulder at Hei who was looking between his wallet and a product pricing/location kiosk before sighing with a relived smile. He looked up at her and she winked back at him holding up a peace sign. "All at my favorite price too. Free ninety-nine."

Hei gave his nervous smile offering an unenthusiastic thumbs up as he rubbed the back of his head sweat-dropping. She turned around to face him humming. "You know. You should get some new threads too Li."

Hei looked down at what he was wearing with a small frown. His clothes were worn and the bottom of his coat was shredded much like it had been when he found Suou in Russia. It didn't look good but it was still functional. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Yang closed her eyes groaning softly with a face-palm. "You've gotta be kidding me." She groaned as her hand slid down her face. She looked at Hei through a crack in her fingers in annoyed disbelief. "The fact you even asked that lets me know you're just like almost every other guy out there when it comes to fashion. Li,You look like the grim reaper with all that black for crying out loud." She threw her arms up in exasperation. "Not to mention the point of coming here was to get some _nice_ clothes so we can get into the place we're headed."

 _"Of course she'd try to put me in some new clothes."_ He grimaced to himself remembering Suou's _criticism_ of his ski jacket. _"Just can't leave well enough alone."_ Hei rubbed the back of his head bashfully while pulling at his coat and looking down at his attire. "I see your point. It's not in the best condition for formal wear and combat clothes aren't exactly fit for everyday occasions."

Yang grinned strutting as she put a hand in his face shaking her head coyly. "Says you." She quipped with a sly smirk. "I on the other hand can make combat clothes work for _everything_." She ran her hands down her sides with a sway in her hips for emphasis before giggling at Hei's uncomfortable expression.

"G _od I wish she'd stop doing that stuff. I know she's attractive but it's just not doing it for me. It's kinda embarrassing."_ Hei shrugged smiling softly while looking off to the side. "Okay. I guess I'll go find something and try it on." He almost let his smile slip but scratched his cheek in a fake nervous tick laughing awkwardly. _"Maybe I'm just biased against her because she reminds me of Amber."_

Yang stood there relaxing from her little show eyeing Hei suspiciously. She'd never met a man who would go shopping willingly even for a favor. What's more is that he didn't ogle her when she did provocative things.

Judging from her earlier experience with him he was far from shy. He did seem to get nervous easily but not in an 'I don't know what to do way,' It was like he was avoiding saying what was on his mind. "Maybe I'm just imagining things."

"What?" Hei looked at Yang curiously.

" _Shit. Did I say that out loud?"_ Yang grinned bashfully putting her hands behind her head swaying side to side. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Hei nodded giving her a simple Innocent look smiling softly with a tilt to his head like a dog. "Yes I'd appreciate it."

Yang resisted the urge to aww and hug him. _"God damn him and Ruby! How the hell do they do that? Arg. Must resist the look."_

Yang closed her eyes holding her head up like she was some prissy girl, then held up a finger against his lips. "A woman is entitled to a few secrets. Maybe I'll tell you some other time."

Hei scratched his head. "You make it sound like we're gonna do this a." She looked dead into his eyes with a fiery determination mixed with the promise of pain if he didn't shut up and accept what she said.

She removed her finger from his lip pointing at him menacingly. "You will find something _Good_ or I'll find something for you and you'll have to wear that." He gulped. "And while you find yourself something, I'll be getting _my_ outfits. Then once they're payed for I'll try them on and you can help me pick the best between the two to wear tonight, okay."

Hei nodded quickly feeling that it wasn't a question. He wasn't intimidated in the least but he stuck to a very strict rule book and one of those rules was _"Hell hath no fury like a women's scorn."_ he sighed mentally, smiling all the while.

"Maybe I should find someone else to be my contact in the city. Like a bartender of some kind or a small private business owner." He said quietly as he watched Yang strolling off to the woman's clothing section on the second floor. A little part of him died inside as he watched her putting more sway in her hips than necessary, but he had to look away when she sat on the escalator letting it squeeze her rump as she rode up.

The last he saw of her was a Cheshire grin as she laughed at him most likely. He'd never understand the flirting and sexual attraction thing.

Now he completely understood the concept of sexual appeal but never had a clue why so many people just let their desires control them. He guessed in that aspect he was more like a contractor.

He understood the mechanics and function of dating, sex and relationships. Dressing nice and looking good were basic. In his opinion learning about them was far easier than application. It just boggled his mind on a personal level. It had taken two years before he'd felt attracted to Amber, and Yin was although pleasant, a completely unexpected turn of events. He'd felt an emotional connection to them but it was more a comfort thing as opposed to romantic.

On his way to the cashiers center he started to wonder if Yang was actually flirting with him seriously or not _._ Shaking his head he shifted his thoughts to his situation and what he was going to do as well as where he was going to go from here.

He walked up to the counter and pulled out the wallet he'd taken from Adam as a nice looking young lady with a black beret and long light brown hair bowed slightly from behind the marble counter.

"Hello welcome to Schnee Appeal W&W. I hope your evening is going well. How may I be of assistance?" She asked in a chipper Aussie accent.

Hei smiled warmly at her putting on his college student persona. "Hi there. My evenings going pretty well. Thank you for asking. Not many people care to ask that. How about yourself? How's your evening going Ms…" He leaned in a little closer inspecting her name-tag with an unassuming look. "…Velvet."

~ 0 ~

Velvet blushed in embarrassment at being thanked. She was rather shy and only asked out of habit because the job required it. Most customers they got here were the rich, famous or posh and didn't look at you twice or care what you said unless it was praise or an insult so a genuine response was kinda alien. The average middle class customer was few and far between.

She was pleasantly surprised by his manners and docile attitude. Half of the young men who came in either hit on her thinking she had a lot of money considering where she worked or flirted with her and asked her out. She'd learned her lesson after the first boy had seen her after hours and… well she tried to forget that particular event.

"...se me miss?"

Velvet looked up with wide eyes and blinked a few times when a gentle hand poked her nose. The man who'd come up to her was looking at her with a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry did I interrupt you? You looked like you were thinking about something unpleasant." His expression became one of worry, his grin falling into a worried squiggle as he scratched his cheek. "Did I do something to make you feel uncomfortable?"

Velvet gasped in mild shock at his reaction to her absentmindedness. "No!" She jumped forward wincing at her own volume a small pain shooting through her knees as they knocked against the marble counter. Her hands were waving frantically as she looked up at him and tried to apologize.

"I mean no sir. I mean I apologize sir. It wasn't anything like that. You were. It was. I just." She took a deep breath folding her arms behind her back wringing her hands nervously as she shifted side to side.

"It wasn't anything like that. I was surprised that you actually thanked me then asked me how my evening was going." She scratched her cheek. "You sounded genuinely interested and you didn't try to hit on me and your very well mannered and you were worried if you offended me and and…"

She shrank in on herself looking down as her nerves got the better of her. "…And now I'm rambling. Sorry." She sighed quietly.

~ 0 ~

Hei's eyes became a little more focused when he noticed her beret twitch slightly like the girls bow from the train a couple days ago. _"Is she a faunus too? Still don't know much other than that they're treated like second class citizens."_

He stood back waving his hands in front of himself placatingly. "Don't worry about it. I thought I'd done something wrong." Thinking about it and her timid nature he rubbed the back of his head bashfully while using an expression he hadn't used in a long time. "You don't have to apologize. You were just being honest and speaking your mind." He said while beaming at her. "Besides you're pretty adorable when you act all nervous and timid. Like a rabbit."

Velvet stiffened when she herd his rabbit comment. Did he know who and _what_ she was? Did he come in here looking for her?

She slowly looked into his dark blue eyes. She couldn't tell what it was but something about them was off. His lips and face were in the exact same place they would be if he really was beaming at her but his eyes they looked distant. It was strange but she wanted to take a picture of him just so she could put her finger on what was missing.

She shook her head slightly. "Um. Thank you for not getting upset with my behavior. Is there something I can assist you with?" He didn't seem to have any malicious intent and over all was very civil. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

Hei pulled out his wallet again and smiled warmly. "Can I open a tab here and put money on it?"

Velvet felt her stomach flip uncomfortably. Now it wasn't that one couldn't do just that but, one needed permission and a membership card that took about a week to arrive.

"Well you see sir." She brought her hands together in front of her chest and started twiddling her thumbs. "You need to fill out some paperwork and have an approved account. Is there a particular reason you needed to hold a stocked tab with us?"

Hei sighed. _"Damn now I have to wait for Yang to finish and that means she'll probably pick my clothes too. Ug."_

"Well I'm here with someone and I don't know where they went or when they'll be done so I wanted to have a tab ready for them."

Velvet smiled at his thoughtfulness. _"He really is a thoughtful guy. Maybe I could help him out just this once. At a price of course."_ She nodded and pretended to do something on the computer next to her wondering if he would accept her deal.

"Well sir."

"Please call me Li."

Velvet smiled with a slight nod. "Well Li. I can't set up a tab for you." She looked around conspiratorially and then leaned forward beckoning him in. "But if you let me take a picture of you then I think I can find a work around."

Hei blinked wondering what she wanted the picture for. "What do you want a photo of me for?" The whole thing sounded like extortion to him but a photo was a photo and he didn't really mind, just wanted to know her thoughts for wanting a photo of all things.

Velvet flushed scratching her cheek again. "Well photography is my passion and you just have this x factor about you that makes me want a photo of you." She laughed nervously.

He took in what she said and then smiled while giving a nod. "Sure. Sounds like a deal." He wasn't one to deny a fellow photography enthusiast.

Velvet beamed at the prospect. It would give her the time she needed to figure out what was missing in his eyes. She quickly typed away at the computer opening her own and Coco's tab before looking at Hei. "So who's the tab for?"

Hei was about to answer when a though crossed his mind. He thought back to when Yang picked him up and thought of a way to tease her. He smiled at Velvet and nodded. "Take care of a beautiful young maiden named Yang Xiao Long."

Velvet felt something in her chest squirm a little but she ignored it shrugging the feeling away while smiling at the way he described the lady he was with. "And how much will the account be credited?"

"L18,000"

Velvet's eyes widened. She didn't make that much unless she saved every penny for a year and that meant not spending anything period. Not with just a part time job anyways. Her time schedule didn't allow for it. She gulped in hesitation before asking. "Come again. I think I misheard you."

Hei sighed internally. Based off the prices he saw up front that was only enough for three sets of clothes. Two with accessories. If this girl though she miss heard then it was obviously a very expensive place and he was blowing about a few months of meals and rent on this Yang girl.

He plastered a smile on and nodded. "You heard correct. I want L18,000 added to the account." He said placing the appropriate cards on the money tray.

Velvet nodded quickly and typed the amount in watching the zeros on her and Coco's account skyrocket. After recovering from the shock she cleared her throat and nodded giving a smile as a surreal feeling washed over her. "Oh my Oum I'm gonna make a killing off this commission if the girl spends all of it.

She snapped out of her euphoric state of mind when she heard Hei clear his throat.

"So time for me to fill my end of the deal."

Smiling with a nod Velvet reached behind the counter ducking out of sight. He herd a zipping noise and wondered if she was going to pull a phone out. To his surprise and slight joy she pulled out a vintage accordion, stock photo, alamy camera.

"Is that a vintage alamy accordion camera?" Hei leaned in close inspecting it with a child like fascination he didn't know he still had. The camera brought fond memories of his own telescope and camera collection… that he didn't have anymore.

"Sorry. You just don't see many around anymore. Shame too. They take amazing photos. Can't get that quality with digital."

Velvet was taken aback but pleasantly surprised. She giggled into her hand at his tone of voice and genuine emotion on the topic. "Well what would you expect from an avid photographer? Say cheese."

Hei smiled and looked warmly at the camera. It'd been a while since he took a picture for the sake of taking one. It felt nice.

When the photo was taken Velvet grinned and gave a peace sign before putting the camera away. When she came back up she was surprised to see Hei still standing there. "Um Mr. Li, Is there something else you needed?" She asked curiously tilting her head to the side.

Hei closed his eyes and took a deep breath before relaxing and leaning back lazily. "From one avid photographer to another." He pulled out L1,000 and left it on the money tray before turning around.

He waved lazily. "Oh one more thing. I saw who's account you actually added the money too. Thanks. You can keep what she doesn't spend."

Velvet looked surprised and almost choked on her words. "How. How did you see? I was on the other side of the counter."

Hei looked over his shoulder and pointed at his eye. "Don't worry about it."

With that he walked off leaving a very confused bunny behind.

~ 0 ~

After talking with a floor salesman he started walking to the men's section pondering just what he was doing while looking through the clothes.

"I'm in a new world and I'm the only one from my world that's here. There's nothing to worry about on a personal level as far as my safety goes. New world means clean slate. No connections to the old one… and nothing to do."

He pulled a dark blue almost black cotton button up shirt from a rack that seemed to make his dull dark blue eyes pop.

"With no connections I'm a free agent. Alone but free and I can do whatever. Honestly that's the only reason I'm still with Yang instead of ditching her. I need to find an information broker so I can get networked and find some work. There's always people in need of someone with my skills."

A pair of dark, charcoal gray, slim, straight fit dress pants caught his eye along with a thin black belt that had a small and unobnoxious skull motif as the buckle. He sighed looking for one without the skull but no luck. It seemed like they were in the middle of transitioning the floor from one season to the next.

With a sigh he moved on. "Before I find a broker I need to get to the library and do some homework before I choose who to work for. Wouldn't wanna step on anyone's toes and ruin my clean slate. Maybe I should look for an official job though. Working for secret services or a corporation wouldn't be much different than working for the syndicate. Hmm."

He moved over to the accessories/extras looking through the ties and vests. He pulled down a silky blue tie the same shade as his eyes accompanied by a vest with a black front and a gray back. On the back there was a silver buckle for adjusting waist size. He grimaced at the lack of selection.

"If not and I go back to crime what kind of legal job would I be able to work a chaotic schedule around? I can do just about any menial task thanks to all the covers I've used but I need something that pays moderately well so if I make lots of money underground it's not a shock. I could use contacts to launder money though. Maybe invest in the underworld or stock market in the likely event this world has those. Maybe even both. Damn. I really do need to get some research done."

After gathering the basics he strolled over to the watches. Sadly he'd be spending money on one because telling time was essential and he hadn't figured out the password the masked man on the train had used. He'd locked it a couple times since. It would do good to find a hacker or a trader and exchange it for a new one. His thoughts turned back to the watches and he grimaced after looking through the selection he found they were all for women.

A groan escaped his lips. "I'd bet the cheap watches are somewhere in the women's section to deter small spenders and make people spend more for convenience. Ha, convenience in a department store. I swear capitalism can be a bitch sometimes."

Moving over to the more pricey section he found what he was looking for. He picked up a watch that had a silver exterior and a blue steal interior. The hands and Roman numerals were made of platinum. He looked at the price L10,000. He reached in to his pocket and took out a few of the chips used as money wincing slightly.

"I've got about L82,000 and this watch is the most expensive thing I've seen. man those two were loaded I can't believe hey were holding so much cash on them during a heist." Shrugging he decided to get it. "Not like it's my money anyways."

He took the case holding the watch and made his way back to the cashiers center grabbing a standard pair of patent leather dress shoes off a shelf as he passed. The conundrum of finding what legal job to get still weighing on his mind. "Wait Yang said something about hunters and combat school. Maybe I should look into that school, Beacon I think she said. On second thought I may run in to her there… I'll have to do a cost benefit analysis later."

After getting to the cashier he looked around. It was highly unlikely that Yang was finished and she definitely wasn't anywhere within eyesight. "Hmm, If I buy my things before I try them on and show her she'll more than likely just go with it. As he walked past the women's jewelry he saw something that could benefit him a lot.

A small necklace in the shape of a burning heart with platinum edges. Crushed topaz was used as the main body of the heart with crushed garnet as the flames. A pair of ornate silver rings were resting on the chain. A note attached to the case said they were complimentary with the purchase of the necklace. The price L25,000. Ouch. "Why does women's jewelry have to be so expensive?" He looked at the tags on his clothes adding up to L5,600. He expected Yang to triple that with two outfits putting him at L22,400. Add the watch L32,400 and with the necklace L57,400. That would leave him with about L24,000. Give or take a thousand.

"Well based of the kind of stuff I can afford here I have more than enough to cover dinner and living expenses for a few days. He shrugged. "Maybe." He thought to the comment Yang made about hanging out in the future and shivered.

When it was his turn at the register he put his things on the counter. He waited patiently as the attendant rang everything up. When they finished she turned to him with a warm smile. Personally he thought she faked it pretty well. But the way her eyes seemed to judge him gave her away.

The girl was tall with pale creamy skin, dark brown hair complimented by an orange gold-ish highlight that hung longer than the rest of her hair and eyes the collor of milk chocolate. She wore a white button up shirt with no collar, a red plaid skirt with stockings and black three inch closed toe heels. Simple but attractive. Though not exactly screaming style. He wondered if it was the uniform trying to think back to the other attendants he spoke with earlier.

"Thank you for choosing Schnee Appeal W&W, I hope you found our selection to your liking."

He didn't know if he should be himself or go with the innocent alter ego he used for infiltration. Knowing Yang wasn't around he shrugged. _"Hmm, Try an be human huh. Maybe I should try and have some fun."_ A calm content smile came over his face as he closed his eyes nodding. "Yeah I think _I_ found something suitable for myself." He put emphasis on the word I on purpose. If Yang's reaction to his infiltration clothes was anything to go by then this girl was going to break character to take him down a few pegs.

The girl gave him a sad look of disbelief and slowly shook her head. "I see. Well I'm sure you know what looks good on you." She subtly checked him out and cringed when she saw his flat bottom no slip climbing shoes.

Hei noticed her reaction and an idea occurred to him. "Yes I do. I grabbed a nice vest with a green interior that I think would match well with…"

The girl wasn't listening. She was going through his things and pulled out the aforementioned piece of clothing and groaned slamming her head down on the counter in exasperation.

" _Strike three and that's the game."_ He smiled to himself. "Sorry ms…" He looked at her blouse reading her name tag. "…Coco. Is everything okay?"

~ 0 ~

Coco couldn't take it anymore. This guy looked like he just walked in off the streets after hiking for a couple days and grabbed the first thing he found that looked good. She examined the vest he'd grabbed and admired it. He had good taste but the outfit didn't match. Not to mention the belt, that skull motif. She shivered.

"Sir are you sure your satisfied with this selection?"

Hei just smiled nodding again while grinning evilly on the inside. The girls face looked like it was made of porcelain and her movements were robotic. Hei glanced behind himself and was glad no one was waiting. Just a little more and this girl would probably put together an outfit for him and make it affordable so he wouldn't leave in anything she didn't approve of.

I'm going to a nice place for dinner with a friend and they said to dress nice so here I am.

The girls lips formed a crooked smile that sent a slight shiver up his spine. "This is something you would wear casually." She lifted the clothes holding them away from her as she walked around the counter. "Sir wait right here. I'll be right back with something better suited for a fancy night out."

The girl quickly walked off handing the clothes to a stocking attendant before disappearing behind a few racks of clothes.

Hei watched her as she walked off with a satisfied look on his face. "And that's how you win at life."

"Impressive."

Hei looked over his shoulder his eyes widening slightly in curiosity as he turned around.

~ 0 ~

Up on the second floor Yang had finished grabbing her outfits having found the two that grabbed her attention all the way back at the end of spring. She'd wanted to put them on then and there. It was funny that her uncle Qrow had taught her this but he'd always said.

 **"** _ **If you don't wanna wear it right off the shelf you'll never wear it after you buy it."**_

Sure enough growing up she stuck to that rule and found herself with way more pocket money than her friends who bout clothes and never wore them. A nice bonus to following that rule was that she was able to afford nicer things and she always had a good look. Putting her hands together she thanked her uncle for the advice.

~ Forest in the middle of nowhere ~

"Fuck I don't have any matches. Just peachy. God damned Ozpin and his A.S.A.P. crap. I forgot to pack some."

Just then thunder rumbled and lightning cracked striking the tree above him igniting a branch that crashed into his pile of dry brush instantly lighting a nice sized camp fire.

The man who had born witness to the event was curled in a ball eyeing the fire warily. Then looked at his hands and back up.

"No fucking way."

~ Schnee Appeal W&W Yang ~

As she made her way to the changing rooms she reviewed her outfits. The first consisted of an orange scarf on top of brown bomber jacket with short puff sleeves worn over a yellow tube top. For bottoms a pair of dark brown almost black leather cotton blend shorts covered by a brown belt and a lighter brown three quarters skirt with a thin linen cover underneath. As for shoes, brown biker boots with orange stockings that went up to just above the knee.

The second was a biker jacket with a white and black color scheme that had sleeves going down to mid forearm. The coat would cover most of the simple black, low cut v-neck that had come with it.

To her chagrin she'd snuck over to the lingerie section and grabbed a pair of thin, black, silk panties so no outlines would be seen through her clothes.

They were a little racy but it was better than a thong. She was trying to look good but she didn't want a thin piece of cloth rubbing between her butt cheeks. She'd never understand why some women wore them all the time.

 **"** _ **Thots."**_

Her uncle called them. Right before making that stupid thought patrol pun. It wasn't even funny.

Right after grabbing the underwear she'd felt that the one piece alone left her a little too exposed and grabbed a garter belt with wide straps to help her feel more covered down there considering she'd chosen a short tight black skirt as the bottom. Of course she had to get some cute stockings to go with the garter belt and she had.

Sadly after feeling the panties she'd fallen in love with the silk and grabbed a silk Lilac scarf. She had no idea how she'd incorporate it in the outfit but she'd find a way. After reviewing the outfit she'd decided it was missing that Yang flare and grabbed some nice high top black leather, heeled boots with buckles and side zipper.

Feeling rather pleased with her selections she'd resorted to the age old way of deciding between two things. "Eeny meeny miny moe." The brown and gold outfit being the winner tonight.

"Oh I cant wait to get to the club wearing this!" She squealed excitedly to no one in particular as she walked around to the escalators to get to the changing rooms on the first floor. As she passed the accessories she grinned grabbing a pair of aviator glasses and two pairs of fingerless biker gloves. One brown the other black.

A pleased smile spread across her lips as she though about how long she'd been saving for these outfits. It had been all summer. She'd seen them at the end of spring and wanted them bad. They were seasonal and part of a special set the designer had made, meaning they would only be there for the next 3 months and then she'd most likely never see them again.

She'd done the math and found out she'd have to save every last penny from two full time jobs including any overtime she could get and hope for a summer sale on top of emptying her bank account just to have a chance at buying them.

Well she worked hard, covered extra shifts, picked money up off the floor, did extra house chores canceled her magazine subscriptions, rationed her cosmetics and toiletries, never ate out, completely avoided coffee of all types, waited for a sale and cut coupons out of the last magazine she'd gotten but she'd finally done it. She saved enough.

Her dad told her good things come to those who wait and holly shit had it paid off in the weirdest and most random way she could have thought. On her way to town on the last day they were available she'd run in to someone who would make her summer worth so much more.

Thinking back to a couple hours ago she smiled warmly. He'd looked like he needed help when she came across him. A couple miles from the main road to the inner city, just out of her way from the fairy between Patch and the port town near Vale.

Time was of the essence and this was her only chance to get her dream clothes but something stopped her. The man looked young and he seemed to have come from the forest if the evaporating grimm a few yards back had been any indication.

A cold hand had gripped her heart and she thought about her mom. Summer. She'd gone out on a simple mission by herself and never came back a few years ago. What if that guy passed out and because of bad luck that was it for him. Making sure someone was okay was more important than clothes. She'd mentally cussed herself out for stopping but somehow everything had worked out.

"I get my outfits a free meal and on top of that I've got almost L17,000 in the bank. Woo!"

She was coming down off her high as she passed the women's jewelry section she looked up and saw Hei. "Hey Li!" she called waving to him getting a curious look on her face when he didn't respond to his name. He was speaking with a man who had green hair dressed in a white button up collar shirt and beige slacks with suspenders, thermos in hand.

"Huh maybe it's someone he knows?" Turning back to the jewelry something caught her eyes. A beautiful necklace with a burning heart that looked just like her semblance crest.

The price tag caught her attention and her face fell, "There's no way he'd buy me something this expensive," She said in a disappointed tone of voice looking like a kicked puppy. She reached for a pair of earrings that matched her black and white ensemble. "Maybe I can get him to buy at least these for me. Who am I kidding I extorted him out of a whole outfit for poking fun at me."

When she reached the register She grinned. "Hey there. Could you ring me up please?" The girl looked up from a photo she was looking at and smiled with a nod.

"Yes. Do you already have everything you need?" She asked putting the photo away behind the counter before typing at the computer when Yang nodded. "Will you be paying in credit Lien or do you have an account with us?"

Yang grinned. "Yeah the account should be under Li."

The girl looked up from the tags on the clothes with slightly wide eyes feeling giddy. "Oh mam that account was just credited for L18,000." He said to take care of a beautiful young maiden named Yang Xiao Long. Would you happen to be Ms. Xiao Long?"

Yang Blinked at the brown haired attendant wearing a beret, bewildered that her hitch hiker had just given the store more than enough money to take care of her. A flush crept up her cheeks in embarrassment as the description used to identify her registered.

"I can't believe he gave me so much money to work with or that he actually told them that." She said quietly. She felt self conscious and kinda guilty deciding to talk to him about it after they met back up. Looking around she couldn't see him or the man he'd been speaking with and sighed. A content smile lit up her features as she buried her face in the soft new clothes.

"Thank you." After paying for the two ensembles and squealing in delight at owning the two outfits she dashed to the women's changing rooms barely able to contain her excitement.

~ 0 ~

Hei walked out of one of the men's changing rooms wearing the clothes The attendant from the registrar had brought out to him, a satisfied smile on his face. She'd offered to let him use the showers in the employees room when she found out he really had been hiking through grimm infested territory, and man did it feel good. Now with fresh clothes he couldn't help but smile.

Slow clapping met his ears and he turned to face the attendant who'd made it her personal mission to get him dressed _right_.

"Damn handsome, looks good on you." She said admiring his figure in the suit she put together for him. She made a spinning gesture with her hand a smug smile on her lips. "Now turn around mama want to see how well you wear it."

Hei grinned, slowly turning in place, remembering those two fashion and collar bone obsessed women who had seen him and took to drawing him in different outfits.

Coco whistled in an appreciative manner as he showed off the suit. The jacket was a dark inky black with a deep azure blue pocket handkerchief. The interior was a dark gray silk. Solid silver buttons adorned the bottom of the lower forearm with matching cuff links. It fit perfectly around him, cutting in at the waist and back out like an Italian suit. Surprisingly it seemed very durable and allowed for the full range of motion he was capable of and the shirt under it was a silk cotton mix in a deep sapphire blue.

Over the shirt was a velvet vest with a special fold over design allowing the interior to fold over and button in the front like coat lapels. It was a black a couple shades lighter than the coat with a blue interior that was a few shades darker than the shirt making it pop instead of blending in. The black buttons had been replaced with silver to match the coat. Under all of it was a black tie tucked under the vest held with a silver tie clip. And just for utility, leather drivers gloves with metal clips were tucked inside the inner breast pocket.

On the bottom he wore form fitting dress pants a couple shades lighter than the coat but the same color as the vest along with a dark brown belt that had a shiny steel buckle. His shoes were still a patent leather but these had no laces. They were slip-ons with belts to tighten. The buckles were as uniform dictates, silver and the under part between the heel and the front of the shoe was dark blue while the soles were a dark brown and the rest ink black.

There was a smack and Hei's eyes widened as he felt his butt sting slightly. He whirled around giving the grinning Coco a look of incredulity.

"Did you just?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

Coco licked her lips. "Because mama likes."

Hei sighed and smiled shaking his head. "You have a good taste in clothes. Much better than mine. I'll give you that."

Coco grinned putting her hands on her hips as she struck a pose without even thinking about it. "Of course I do babe. I'm not the regional manager for nothing."

Hei looked himself over and nodded grabbing the tags from the hangers everything came on. "Well color me impressed Coco I think I'll take these."

Coco grinned and walked over to the registers gesturing for him to follow. "Man You had me going there for a second. I thought you were actually gonna go out in those…" A grimace came over her face. "Those things don't even deserve to be called clothes. I told Demitri to pull almost everything you picked down."

Coco stopped suddenly, causing Hei to bump in to her accidentally pushing them into a display. Coco didn't seem to mind the display she bumped into and turned to him. "Not saying your taste in clothes are bad."

Hei just looked at her with a deadpan stare.

She threw up her arms and huffed. "Okay your taste sucks but you do have a nice body and you clean up real well so there." She folded her arms and leaned on her left leg turning away from him a bit, a disinterested look on her face.

He could tell she was trying to avoid problems with a customer and decided to cut her a break. She did let him take a shower and got him some nice threads while he was busy. The price was just a little bit cheaper too.

"Coco its okay. I'm not one for style so I appreciate the help. I really do." He said warmly one hand over his heart. He held his right hand out palm up slightly. "Names Li. Li Shengshun."

Coco looked at his hand then up at him raising a well manicured eyebrow and grinned taking his hand in a firm grip. To her surprise when she tried crushing his hand she couldn't. his muscle were so dense and his skin callus. It was like squeezing a rock.

"You know. This is how you crush someones hand." Coco looked up from their hands at Hei and winced taking a sharp breath. He shifted her smooth slender hand in his and squeezed ever so slightly. The trick was to get the hand and not the fingers or thumb.

"Ouch okay okay okay! Let go." Coco pulled her hand back almost falling over but for Hei grabbing her upper arm and steadying her.

He grinned and tapped the side of his nose. "You should be careful who you accidentally insult though. They might not be as nice as me or willing to buy afterwards."

Coco suppressed a growl and brought her left hand to her face pushing her nose before she blushed turning away.

Hei chuckled. "Did you just try to push up some glasses… That your not wearing?"

Coco threw her arms up and grumbled as she walked around the counter. "You try to help someone and they act like a prick. Typical men."

Hei sighed a melancholy look coming over his face for a second before he schooled his features. _"She's a lot like Suou."_ Clearing his mind of guilty thoughts and unanswered feelings he plastered a smile on his face. "I think you'd look cute with glasses. Why aren't you wearing them?"

Coco eyed Hei like a hawk debating whether to answer or not. "Why should I tell you?"

Hei's response was quick. "Well if you couldn't find anything to match them today because you couldn't do laundry you can just say so."

Coco looked away covering her mouth and nose trying and failing to hide a blush. "Shut up."

Hei's eyes widened. "You mean I was right? Wow." He leaned back resting his left hand on his waist.

Coco dropped her hand, her jaw hanging slightly. "You mean you were joking?"

The two looked at each other before Hei tapped her chin. "You know if you keep your mouth open like that you'll catch flies." His comment made her snap her mouth closed. "You know your kinda cute when your embarrassed."

Coco glared at him and took a step back. "Sure. And I guess this is where I say. I bet you say that to all the women. Just like every other woman would."

Hei shrugged giving a carefree expression. "Only if you are like every other woman."

Coco spluttered smacking her hand over her chest. "I'll have you know I'm a one in a million." Then she paused folding her arms over her chest. "Smooth. Real smooth buddy."

" _Hook line and sinker."_ He grinned. "So you're not you're own special individual self. Guess I was hoping for to much then."

Coco stamped her foot. "Argh, your so annoying. I can't believe I took time to put together a suit for you. You'd better have the money." She put her hands on her hips. "You do have the money don't you? Your not just flirting with me to stall are you. Because I'll tell you right now. I'm no gold digger but a broke guys an unattractive guy."

Hei slouched a little scratching the top of his head giving a sigh. "Can't even flirt with a confidant girl without her thinking your stalling." He looked up at her trying to read her expression.

Now he was good at manipulation but it takes two to tango and she was stepping on his feet every opportunity she got. _"I don't think I'm gonna be able to get a discount at this rate."_

"I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression. You're a life saver. I mean you did help me out. I swear I wouldn't try to waist your time. I just had to try my luck you know. You don't think I'd flirt with someone I didn't like did you."

Yes. Yes he would. Just like he did with Yang and most of his female targets. It was a quick way to build rapport and start a relationship you could take advantage of later. Now he had no goal and he didn't plan on abusing anyone but a discount was always welcome, and besides old habits die hard. Call him a sociopath but playing with people was fun. Why couldn't adults see that? Kids were so good at it.

Coco scoffed flicking her bang. "Ya no. Nice try but I don't date people I don't know and that's not gonna get you a discount."

Hei groaned and face planted on the counter. "Worth a shot."

What he didn't see was Coco smiling warmly at him before turning and taking a selfie with him as her unsuspecting partner. "Definitely worth a shot." She said, grinning down at Hei as he turned his head to look up at her.

"Glad to be of service mam." He groaned quietly. His eyes widened as a handbag slammed down right in front of his nose. Shaking the solid marble counter.

He looked up at Coco. Her eyes were cast in shadow and her smile was twitching. "Tell me. What did you just say." She leaned in close letting him see her eyes which looked calm but he could almost see the timer counting down in her irises."

Hei didn't actually know what to do. It was obvious she didn't like being called mam. But he wasn't actually intimidated and didn't know what she wanted to be called.

~ 0 ~

Coco honestly wasn't angry. Well no she was kinda miffed. This guy was blocking all her attempts at having fun and after she went out of her way to doll him up so to speak. Now since he hadn't paid yet she figured he was her play thing for at least the next couple minutes. Which on a slow day was an Oum send. _"Now Mr. Lets see just how well you play."_

Hei Looked into Coco's eyes and sighed closing his own. "I don't feel like playing anymore. I need to find my friend too. They probably finished shopping already."

Coco was about to retort when Hei stood up straight and pulled out a few Lien cards. "So whats the damage."

Coco stood there dumbstruck. _"The bastard. I can't force him to play and he knows it. ARGH!"_ Schooling her features she rung up the tags and smiled her customer service smile. "That will be L5,200. Will you be renting or purchasing. Rent cost is L1,000 for 24 hours and to purchase will be Several weekly payments of L1,250."

A clattering noise met her ears and she looked down at the money tray. Her eyes widened comically.

"I'd like to buy them in full. I don't like interest, dept, or payment plans." He said giving her a friendly smile. "I apologize for taking up so much of your time but I need to grab something, I'll be back in a second."

Coco was staring at the money cards in disbelief. Almost no one bought things that expensive outright. He was either loaded or he really didn't like being over charged through interest. _"Holly shit. I get a 20% commission, that's like… L1,040."_ She started salivating, just thinking about the clothes she could pay off and the new ones she could buy.

A finger snapped in front of her face pulling her from her daydreams. She looked up and saw the man from before waving his hand in her face. "Are you okay? You're drooling."

Coco pulled a napkin from under the counter and wiped her mouth before clearing her throat and held her hand out. "Did you find what you were looking for sir?" A small box was placed in her hand and she rang it up without looking.

"Yes I believe I did. Thank you." So how much do I owe you?

Coco smiled and read the numbers back. "That'll be L30,2 hun, hund, hundred. Oh my Oum." Coco braced herself against the counter looking at the money tray when she heard a few more clatters. Her eyes bulged and she almost passed out. _"What the fuck! Is this guy made of money!"_

She tried to compose herself taking a deep breath and took the cards. handing him back his change. "Thank you for shopping with us at Schnee Appeal W&W." She bowed low, already calculating how much she just made in commission. "I hope you come again soon." Coco was grinning from ear to ear. _"I just made L6,040 EEEEE!"_

"Here. For being a good host." Coco looked down and saw two silver rings sitting on the counter. The two her and Velvet had been looking at a couple weeks back. They hadn't sold with the rest of the collection and ended up getting added to another piece that was way out of their price range before they found the time to buy them.

She looked up to thank the man but he was gone. "He just made me employee of the month, got me L6,000 and gave me a pair of solid silver rings priced at L2,000 each. Best. Day. Ever."

"Coco!"

She turned around seeing her best friend Velvet. "Coco. You'll never believe what just happened!"

She grinned back. "I bet I have you beat."

~ Hei ~

"I should hurry up and give this necklace to Yang." He grabbed the White bag with the stores name written in silver font that held his old clothes. He'd put his harness and knifes on under the coat he wore as well as replacing the flying wire mechanism in the sleeves and belt.

His old clothes were worn pretty badly. The only thing that was salvageable and would still be effective was the bullet proof coat. "Gotta love carbon fiber."

As Hei walked towards the women's changing rooms he looked down at the watch he'd lifted without that girl noticing. It was a simple steel and black leather which reminded him of the watches his orders came with. It was 11:00 pm. His stomach flopped and tightened, reminding him that he hadn't eaten for almost 4 whole days.

Standing up straight he let out a breath rubbing his temples. He already had a migraine and all this acting was making it worse. The jokes helped relive stress but the effort almost made the reward pointless.

When he let his hand fall across his face revealing his dark annoyed eyes he noticed the looks he was getting. Both men and women were staring. From the people who couldn't afford the kind of clothes he just bought to the ones who hated him for his good looks as well as the appreciative artists and snobbish people admiring his figure from both genders.

"Busy bodies." He said under his breath as he made his way to the women's changing rooms. He had a feeling Yang was already changing. He sighed hoping he hadn't just bought such an expensive thing for nothing."

The necklace would be the perfect thing to get her to like him on a subconscious level. Because of human nature, you believe someone who would give you a gift likes you and would have to trust you which creates familiarity and comfort.

Looking over at the registers he saw the two girls who'd helped him hugging one another while they both jumped up and down crying happily.

Money was one means but getting Yang to feel comfortable with him with emotions would allow him to keep his intentions hidden. His lack of refusing her in any way showed that he wanted something from her, but his lack of interest in her and indifferent personality would push that thought out of her mind and draw her to him out of curiosity. His indifferent personality would gain him an ally even if she wasn't exactly a powerful or well connected one as far as he could tell.

Suddenly a short white haired girl brushed passed him. Hei couldn't believe his eyes. He watched as she walked i to the closest open changing room. and just as she was about to close the door he started walking to her room and called "Yin!"

The Girl looked up and he saw her face. Her features were almost exactly the same. Beautiful snow white skin with pale lips but she had ice blue eyes. Not Lilac and a light scar ran across the upper and bottom eyelid of her left eye without damaging it, only adding a fierce and mysterious beauty to her.

The girl looked at him, taking in his appearance before her eyes widened and she slammed the door shut.

Not a second later a young man with platinum blond hair pulled Hei's arm rushing by him to the occupied room, and knocked on the door.

"Weiss, Dearest please do stop hiding this is very unbecoming of my future wife. What would people say if they saw you behaving like this." The young man was either her fiancé or some self-entitled prick. Either way it didn't matter to him anymore the girl wasn't Yin.

"Weiss please do come out here now or your father shall hear of this." That caused the white haired girl to yell through the door in a cold tone with an air of superiority. "Go away I don't even know who you are you dolt now leave at once!"

Hei raised an eyebrow and looked at the young man who saw him watching, causing the snob to blush and get flustered. "look away commoner you have no right to gaze upon I, I am.."

"No one with a brain cares you dolt!" the girl shouted sounding more annoyed then before "Leave me be and stop harassing my customers!"

This carried on for a bit and he sighed looking around at the other stalls waiting for Yang.

~ 0 ~

The two had been yelling at each other through the door for a quite a few minutes now. More so the boy than the girl, much more so but either way it was getting annoying. He sighed. Yang was still changing so he'd have to endure it.

The annoying boy was causing a scene though and people were starting to group around the changing rooms and stare. Hei pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at the young man who had been badgering the girl, Weiss if he remembered correctly. He even saw paparazzi hiding in the clothes racks for crying out loud.

"Okay that's it, this is getting ridiculous." Hei was about to walk up to the young man when Coco stalked by walking up to the young man and grabbed his shoulder, jerking him from the door turning him around.

"Sir you need to leave you're making the other customers feel uncomfortable and your causing a scene."

The young man looked at Her and sneered shrugging her hand off. "Don't touch me, you're just an employee. I could have you fired."

Coco stood her ground but didn't touch him again, her teeth grinding. When the girl in the changing room spoke. "Just go get security I'll be fine in here until you return." Coco walked back a couple steps before turning on her heel touching a small earpiece as she made her way through the crowd.

Hei turned around to leave and saw a few of the changing rooms being blocked. One of which he saw a familiar yellow clad wrist waving from.

~ 0 ~

Yang, dressed in what she now dubbed her combat clothes, huffed folding her arms as she leaned against the back wall. She'd tried getting out several times now and each attempt was less fruitful than the last what with a large crowd obstructing the door. She couldn't just bust it down and hurt someone on the other side. "What the hell's going on out there?"

~ 0 ~

Facepalming Hei turned right back around and walked up to the young man who was actually knocking repeatedly on the door the snowy themed girl sat behind.

As Hei's shadow fell on the boy he turned and came face to Hei's chest. The boy stepped back and looked up at Hei, noticing his suit and raised an eyebrow. "I see you're a cut above the rest but still just that, a cut above the rest. What do you want."

Hei grimaced and pointed back towards the crowd, the blocked changing rooms specifically. "Your causing a scene and a few people are stuck in their stalls because of the crowd. I'm sure they would all appreciate it if you would calm down so the crowd would disperse."

The boy scoffed putting a hand on his forehead striking a flamboyant pose. "Come now they should be grateful to be in the same building as I."

Hei grinned slightly thinking of a fun way to knock him down a few pegs. Turning to the crowd he asked. "Does anyone know who this punk kid is?"

It was a gamble but if the girl was important enough to order around the regional manager and she claimed to not know this guy then it would pay dividends if it worked.

The crowd mumble but no one came forward or offered a name. Not even an idea.

Hei turned back to the boy smiling warmly. "I apologize but it doesn't seem that anyone here knows you. So pleas would you kindly vacate the area at least this area. I don't think your scoring any brownie points with the women in the changing rooms." He pointed to the door behind the boy where snickering could be herd. Especially her."

The boy spluttered trying to form a coherent sentence but all that came out was the genius response. "Huh?"

Laughter exploded from the surrounding crowd making the blond boy's face turn tomato red. "You bastard!" The boy shouted punching at Hei with his left hand while reaching into his jacket with his right. Hei leaned his head to the side and dodged the punch moving in close to hold the young mans right hand down, striking softly at the boys wind pipe with his right hand. The boy choked for a second and stumbled away from the stalls spluttering for air.

 _"He's trained that diversion opening well he almost drew whatever it is he's got under his coat."_ Hei looked into the young mans eyes. The boy lunged for him again this time with a wild hay-maker but Hei just did a palm thrust hitting the boys head. The blond yelled bending his legs as he fell back using the motion to slide a weapon out. It was an ornate looking pistol with a thin metal blade along the bottom and top but to his surprise, much like the girl from the train, it mecha shifted.

The gun barrel extended and then folded back as the blade on top folded forward connecting to the bottom blade extending its length now resembling a straight military Machete. The boy followed through on his fallback with a lung forward trying to catch Hei off guard.

Hei's eyes widened and he slid back dodging the machete as it cut the air where he'd just been standing. The boy yelled in a fierce and crazed tone. "My name is Issac De Barthandelus! and I will cut you down for daring to mock me."

 _"This kids crazy. He gets made fun of and flips shit saying he's gonna cut me? talk about unreasonable."_ Hei thought to himself. "Look kid I'm not looking for a fight. You should respect the young lady. She already told you to leave her alone so get away from her. And please leave so the other people stuck in their changing rooms can leave too." Another slash passed just I front of Hei's face. "Stop!" Hei grabbed the boys wrist and throat holding him still while narrowing his eyes at him.

Issac thrust his left hand at Hei a small thin piece of metal in hand. "I will not allow you to speak to me in such a manner!"

Hei let go of the boys throat swaying his head to the side and back catching the boys left hand in the crook of his neck before kneeing the little shit in the gut.

The boy dropped the thin piece of metal and doubled over oblivious to the elbow coming down over his head. At the last second the boy opened his eyes and saw the swing coming in the reflection of the white marble floor and dodged the strike. He spun around to Hei's left flank slashing at his exposed back.

Hei threw his whole body into the elbow strike extending his arm out palming the floor and swung into a handstand completely dodging the attack.

Issac pushed his assault slashing up with a manic grin on his face.

Hei pivoted on his palm leaning into a cart-wheel, bringing his right foot down catching Issac's wrist stopping his assault and kicking him in the chest with his left.

Issac staggered back grabbing at his front with a wince. "You worthless insect I'll crush you"! The people looking on were fascinated and wondering who would win with some placing bets, while the paparazzi took pictures and videos like there was no tomorrow. A few People pulled out what looked like cellphones and started recording and snapping pictures too.

Hei pushed off the ground with his hands flipping upright as he kicked his legs out in a downward spin hitting Issac's right hand making his machete fly high in to the air. Hei landed on the ground and bent back into another handstand twisting his waist, catching Issac's right cheek with a heel kick.

The boy swayed, disoriented from the fast counter aiming a clumsy kick at Hei's head catching nothing but air as the older man moved out of the way. Hei pushed off the ground with one arm and flipped to his feet holding his left arm by his head blocking a hammer punch and palm thrusting again only this time hitting the boys solar plexus knocking the air out of him.

As Issac doubled over gasping for breath, Hei jumped into the air to meet the quickly descending machete and lifted his right leg high above his head kicking it down towards Issac.

The machete come down. "Argh! You bastard!"

The machete had cut a long thin line across it's owners left cheek. The cut was barely bleeding but while Issac stood there holding his cheek Hei could of sworn it stopped.

Issac looked at Hei with eyes promising pain but then they widened and he turned storming off Not even bothering to pick up his weapon.

Just then a hand rested on his left shoulder and he turned around. "So you've got money and moves. Nice."

It was Coco and behind her stood Velvet along with several men and a couple women dressed like the guards that had been up front.

Hei took a small breath relaxing slightly. "What took you so long?"

"Yes what did take you so long?" The two turned around to see the girl from the changing room standing there with an unimpressed look on her face, her foot tapping furiously.

Coco stood at attention and bowed. "Apologies Ms. Schnee but he had _friends_ and they held us up. She looked back. Not to mention the media are here and the crowd wont disperse."

The white haired girl and Coco along with the other girl and the security all turned to look at the crowd. "Very well Ms. Adel please tend to the customers and let security do its job." She looked at Hei and smile with an impressed look n her eyes. "Or whats left of their job anyways."

The guards all saluted and turned walking to the crowd trying to get the blocked doors open. Coco nodded again and turned to address the crowd pulling their attention away.

"Well I better go find Yang." He he said turning to head off when the girl. Weiss. Stepped in front of him.

She eyed him curiously and then folded her arms. "Who's Yang?"

Hei's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Why do you wanna know about Yang?"

The girl blushed and cleared her throat. "Well you did just say her name after all that instead of asking for compensation."

Hei watched her as she quickly put on that calm mask she had on when he first saw her. "um she's someone I just met. She gave me a lift into town and as a thank you I'm buying her a few things." Weiss looked in to the mans eyes searching for any sign of a lie wondering just why he had called her _Yin,_ if he was here with a girl named _Yang._ Looking at his cloths again she got the impression he might be a player. "So if you're here with Yang why did you call me Yin?"

Hei tensed but relaxed quickly and smiled, scratching the back of his head. "I don't really wanna talk about it."

Weiss's eyes narrowed and she stepped closer to Hei accentuating every word she spoke by poking his chest. "You had better not be playing those girls and stringing them along."

Hei looked at her in bewilderment not expecting a teenager to try and lecture an adult. Especial in public, but thinking on it she did probably own this place in some way. Her last name was Schnee apparently.

Holding a hand up Hei sighed. "You've got the wrong idea, I called you Yin because she's a close friend of mine who died recently and you look almost exactly like her. It caught me off guard. That's all."

Weiss's eyes softened a little at hearing that. "My apologies. I thought…"

Hei leaned back sighing while holding up a hand. "You don't need to apologies."

Weiss paused feeling a little guilty. Not only did she just accuse a customer of two timing but she even forced him to bring up a loved one who died recently. "I apologize for assuming to know what you were doing." She glanced to the side shyly. "and for accusing you of two timing."

Weiss suddenly looked in his eyes and spoke up in a curiously hopeful tone, "I hope I'm not being overly familiar but I must ask, was your friends last name Schnee by any chance?"

Hei looked at Weiss and then shook his head. "No, I'm sure her last names wasn't Schnee."

"Oh, sorry." Weiss apologized again and looked down with a melancholy look before putting on a practiced smile tilting her head while curtsying. "thank you for answering."

Hei just stood there and watched Weiss as she shuffled from foot to foot avoiding eye contact.

~ 0 ~

Now Weiss was a proud Schnee and this man was a customer. Not just that but he had shown her that he was strong, good mannered and deserving of her respect. So she felt obligated to make it up to him for not only her rude behavior but the fact that he did what her security should have.

She eventually looked him in the eyes with a fierce pride before bowing deeply. "On behalf of the Schnee family I thank you for your assistance in dealing with undesirables." She reached into her skirt and held up a ticket of some sort to Hei.

Funnily enough it reminded him of the tickets the Americans made for that polar express movie he saw at the Bob Bullock Museum a few years ago. The ticket was probably coated in gold and the engraving was filled with actual black ink.

He thanked her while grabbing hold of it, slowly pulling it from her grasp.

"It's a VIP ticket to my last concert next weekend before the new school semester starts. I would feel content if you were to attend the show and consider my debt to you paid."

Hei held out his hands waving nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it. You don't have to give me anything I acted on my own self interest. My friend was locked in one of the dressing rooms." Hei sighed letting his arms drop smiling warmly at Weiss.

She couldn't believe what she herd. This man was waving off a dept from the Schnee family? It didn't make sense. She looked at the suit he wore and noticed it was the latest design they had in stock. It wasn't anything to special but it was much more expensive than a simple L600 suit. He could have even asked to wave the fee and she'd have accepted.

Weiss sighed before putting on her business face holding her hand out. Well if there's ever a small favor you need just ask Mr?

"Shengshun. Li Shengshun. But you know."

Weiss' ears pricked and her full attention was on The man before her. "Yes?"

"He scratched the back of his head. I just got to town and I'm looking for work. I would really appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me anywhere really." He waved the ticket around."

Weiss's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped in shock. "How were you able to afford that suit if you don't have a job and your new in town?" she quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry, please. Don't take that the wrong way it just wasn't expected." She cleared her throat and placed her hand over her chest daintily. "I'll do what I can."

Hei smiled and bowed lightly. "Thank you."

She stepped close to him and poked his chest again adding a small glare. "And in return I expect to see you at my concert. I will be informing the staff that a Mr. Li Shengshun will be in attendance so don't embarrass me."

Suddenly Weiss' eyes widened as she realized she never introduced herself. "Ahem." Weiss covered her mouth with her left hand and cleared her throat, placing her right hand across her heart. "My name is Weiss Schnee." she held out her right hand and looked up at Hei with a calm face not noticing the smile slowly creeping to her lips.

Hei got a firm grip on her hand, "Pleased to make your acquaintance." Then rubbing his neck he asked. "Do I have to go to the concert? I'm not one for things like that."

"Mr. Shunsheng I…"

Hei held a hand. "Just Li. I'm not old enough to be called Mr. without being a teacher."

"What? But I. you… um. _Li."_ she said with a sickly sweet voice. "Why don't you want to come hear me sing?"

Hei cringed at the tone of voice she used, detecting the threat to do bodily harm if he didn't give an acceptable answer. Hei tensed. "She's obviously perceptive with how she paid enough attention to the names Yin and Yang." The irony of the names just hitting him. He closed his eyes realizing lying wasn't an option.

Opening his eyes Hei Cleared his throat and was about to speak when a strong pair of arms wrapped around his neck from behind.

~ 0 ~

"Wow you do Work fast Li." Yang snickered from behind him.

He looked over his shoulder at her and rolled his eyes. "How long have you been watching?" Yang looked at his face then she glanced towards Weiss, a queasy feeling spreading in her stomach.

Weiss watched as the blond girl who was apparently the Yang he mentioned earlier. The way the blond hung off his back made her feel irritated that someone her own age would interrupt them like that. Looking at the two she noticed the girl glance her way. Their eyes met, Weiss' eyes narrowing while Yang looked away as soon as she noticed Her looking back.

 _"What gives her the right to hang off of him like that? We were just having a conversation."_ Weiss raised a perfect eyebrow making her narrowed eyes appear predatory. Her foot tapping impatiently. _"I thought this girl was just some stranger he met who gave him a ride in to town?"_

Yang looked at Weiss again and stuck her tongue out making the snow themed girl gasp in shock. Hei was _Her_ entertainment for the evening. She was completely smitten with the fact he had a sense of humor and traded quips with her. Not to mention the insane amount she saved on clothes and to top it off the prospect of getting into that club her friends told her about. There was a special reason she wanted to get in there.

The fact Liwas letting her have her way would have been a turn off but he'd been acting like he could care less if she wondered off without him. That did bring to mind the most intriguing thing about him so far. He was taking care of, well everything and making her feel comfortable. It seemed like he wasn't even trying.

Yang tightened her hold around Hei's neck jumping up putting her legs around his waist while resting her chin on his left shoulder like a kid. "I've been watching the whole time." She pouted while an idea came to her. "I can't believe you'd ignore your girlfriend to flirt with some other chick." Yang used the feeling in her stomach to help her make it sound as convincing as possible.

Now she just had to watch what happened. She figured Li was a mellow guy and wouldn't mind if she made a joking comment like that. The fun was hopefully coming along with the white haired girls reaction. Would she be convinced she was his girlfriend and leave him alone. Or would she make a scene. "Your move ice princess."

~ 0 ~

Hei was not amused. He'd been in his fair share of situations where he found himself the object of one or more women's affections but it had never been like this. This blonde was starting to get on his nerves. Two girls fighting over him he could handle. Just ignore them. This however. Yang was intentionally trying to get a reaction out of Weiss.

He sweat dropped giving a charming crooked smile while tilting his head away from Yang pulling her off his back. "Well Weiss this Is who I mentioned earlier. Weiss, Yang. Yang, Weiss."

Weiss smiled at Hei for showing respect by acknowledging them both and starting introductions. On the other hand Yang's face fell a little at the realization her plan didn't work and she'd have to share Hei's attention with the white haired girl for a little longer.

Weiss coughed into her hand and waited expectantly looking at Yang. she sighed sliding of Hei's back and walked around to introduce herself to the girl. "Hey nice to meet you, the names Yang Xiao Long." Yang said giving a small cheery wave and smiling a bright smile.

Weiss's lips turned up at the corners getting a warm feeling in her chest at how normal these two were acting. "My name is Weiss Schnee." She waited for the gasps and recognition that came with her introduction but none did.

Most people were always trying to get her attention or chased after her like the boy from earlier. When neither of them changed their demeanor in any way she had to wonder. If these two were genuinely being casual around her, or if it was an elaborate scheme to get close to her. She couldn't tell exactly why but something told her they couldn't care less about her family name.

Weiss crossed her arms in front of her chest putting her weight on her right leg watching the two in front of her, giving Yang a once over. "She has long hair like me but she keeps it down although she seems to take great care of it. She's a little taller than me and her legs are long and that face. It's near flawless unlike mine with my scar.

Weiss's eyes drifted to Yang's D sized chest at about 85cm and she suddenly felt inadequate with her double A cup of about 73cm.

Yang saw Weiss watching her and Grinned when she noticed her demeanor shrink after catching sight of her busty chest. She crossed her arms under her bust and pushed her chest up swaying her hips lightly, enjoying the feeling of being more _developed_ than Weiss.

Hei watched as both girls compared themselves to each other trying to make themselves more appealing by preening, doing subtle things like brushing their fingers through their hair or posing and making themselves more attractive in general.

 _"I hope these two realize that I'm just a man and this is starting to get to me."_ Hei cleared his throat making the two girls jump. They looked at him. Yang gave him a seductive smile and a wink while holding her hand up, fingers in a v. Weiss on the other hand looked embarrassed.

Hei eyed the two girls and then sighed closing his eyes. "Can you two just say your goodbyes. I'm sure Weiss has somewhere to be as do we."

Weiss' blush darkened and she turned her head to the side giving a small cough. "Yes there is, I need to be preparing for my last concert." She looked at Hei and nodded. "Good evening." She faced Yang. "and to you as well." she spun on her heel walking off but then she turned around smiling smugly over her shoulder. "I'll see you next Friday night Li. don't be late." As she walked off out of sight Yang spluttered. "That'll show the blond bimbo who she's messing with." Weiss thought with a smirk.

Yang looked at Hei expectantly but he just looked away avoiding her stare. She walked up to him and leaned against him. "So wanna go get some food now?"

Hei looked at Yang with wide innocent eyes but before he could say anything a loud growling noise came from his stomach.

Yang looked at him and fell over in hysterical laughter at how perfect the timing was.

~ 0 ~

And that's a wrap. hope y'all enjoyed.

P.S. ... smile


	4. Chapter 4

The Dying Light of a Borrowed Star

I do not own DTB or RWBY

~ 0 ~

" _thoughts"_

"Speech"

 _words with implied meaning_

Regular text

" **Disembodied voice"**

" _ **Memories"**_

~ Ch 4 ~

~ Threats, Bets and Debts ~

By the time they left the department store it was almost midnight. Yang kept asking him questions about the girl they met earlier like if they knew eachother and what Weiss had meant by don't be late Friday. It was amusing in a way. He didn't think she'd be so interested considering she barely knew him but curiosity was funny like that.

All in all he really didn't wanna think about it right now anyways. His head was throbbing from lack of sleep and sustenance so he answered her questions with the time old response.

While looking away to avoid Yang's suspicious gaze. "You know curiosity killed the cat right?"

She quickly moved in front of him causing them to bump into eachother. She didn't expect him to walk into her and she stumbled back with an annoyed look. "Hey!"

She paused at the passive expression he wore and tilted her head in curiosity. "Um Li?"

"Hey Yang."

She looked up at him curiously.

"This might be a stupid question, but do the city lights usually look like this?"

Yang was caught off guard by his simple question and looked around just now noticing the lights herself. She had to admit it was pretty impressive. She hadn't ever actually stayed out this late in Vale. Rubbing her head she glanced at Hei. "I don't actually know. I've never been out in the city this late. I'm usually On the last ferry home by now. But you know I…"

Hei blocked out what she was saying and rose an eyebrow at that little bit of information. _"If the last ferry to her home already left then why is she still here?"_

He pulled his gaze away from the city lights and looked at her curiously giving her what appeared to be his full attention as she went on about different things in her life. It looked like his plan to get her mind of Weiss worked. Now he could ignore most of what she said and let his brain rest.

He kept an eye on her out of his peripheral as they continued down the sidewalk responding at the appropriate times by waiting for her to look at him. He gauged his responses based off her accentuated hand and arm movements. Everything she said was accompanied by her hands and sound effects. Personally he found it annoying but endearing.

" _At least I don't have to contribute much. Honestly I'm amazed she's being so lax around me. People don't usually open up so fast._ _She must have had a sheltered life or be living in a smaller town like Suou did."_ Hei put his hand over his eyes trying to block out Suou's face and the feeling of guilt that rose up remembering that night on the fire escape.

~ 0 ~

Yang noticed Hei cover his face getting quiet as she stepped closer to him. "Hey Li, are you feeling alright?" She asked in a worried ton, a small smile trying to come to her lips. "We can always reschedule for another time if you're that tired."

In all honesty she didn't wan to reschedule. For one she might not see him again and he was actually a pretty cool guy in her short experience with him. He'd told her he was walking through the forest nonstop the last couple of days which meant he wasn't likely to stay in any one place too long; what with his admittance of being a workaholic. She hoped she'd done the right thing in giving him the option to cancel but it was far from what she wanted.

He'd been keeping her happy by playing her games and throwing her flirtations back at her as well as paying for everything. It was the most fun she'd had with someone of the opposite sex since intermediate school before she got into Signal.

 _"Maybe it's the age difference? Not that he seems to much older than me, maybe early to mid twenties."_ In all honesty she knew she was above average in the looks department and that she was one of the more _mature_ girls but she had seen even older men than Li give her _the look_ , so maybe it was just his personality. _"I'm pretty sure I don't love him or anything like that."_ She though while watching him straiten up and take a deep breath.

That's when she saw it. His eyes looked up in to the sky with his brow furrowing. It was the same look both her dad and uncle Crow had when they were thinking about something painful. _"Whats he thinking about?"_

Yang stopped walking and grabbed Hei's shoulders turning him to face her. She leaned up to him with a soft look in her eyes reaching out and sliding her hands across his cheeks comfortingly.

Hei looked down at Yang with a look of confusion and resigned stress when he noticed how close she was getting. He moved his hands to her waist and held her away, but she didn't try and force her way closer. "Yang what are you doing?" he whispered to her in a quiet but firm tone.

"Li, why do you have such a sad look on your face?" she asked in a soft and sincere tone. "If its really to much for you to handle right now… I understand."

He couldn't believe his ears. _"Is she really worried about me?"_ He looked down into her eyes searching for any lies, but he couldn't find any. _"How could she feel worried for me. We just met. In all honesty I've just pretended to be someone she could get along with and, I'm using her. I don't know how I feel about this."_

"Yang you don't owe me anything and I promised you dinner so we're going to get dinner, besides." He poked her nose and smiled warmly using his charismatic nonchalant voice. "You're a nice young woman, I'd be happy to get to know you a little better."

She had the modesty to blush a little and smiled sheepishly averting her gaze. Looking down she let her hands fell to where only her finger tips rested on his cheeks. _"Get a hold of yourself girl what's gotten in to you?"_ she mentally slapped herself. _"But that look in his eyes… I don't want to see it for some reason, not on him."_ she looked up at him with a determined but gentle look in her eyes contemplating what he just said and ran her fingers up the sides of his face.

Hei's body stiffened as Yang's eyes focused on his and he saw the warm determination in them. He felt her hands getting closer to his forehead. He was staring to feel on edge wondering just why Yang was acting this way. _"She should be treating me like a good acquaintance at best, not getting close to me like this."_ He frowned. "Yang we shouldn't be getting this close we…"

"Shhhhh, just relax. You worry to much. It's nothing serious." Yang interrupted him with a big heartwarming smile spreading across her face. _"He didn't have to do any of the things he's done for me so far."_ her smile widened and her cheeks flushed slightly. _"And yet he just keeps doing them and outclassing anybody who comes to mind. I feel like I should do at least this."_ She pushed against his grip leaning her body against his and resting her head against his. Her lips brushed against his cheek in the tender way a family member would to comfort someone.

Hei stayed tense for a few seconds then relaxed into her touch, letting his eyes close as a strange feeling of comfort washed over him. Memories of his sister, Amber, Suou and Yin swam around in his mind.

 _"Why are you thinking about them right now it has nothing to do with this and it's not fair to Yang."_ His eyes opened and widened slightly. _"Not fair to Yang? Why should that even matter to me?"_ Before he could continue his train of thought Yang's fingers reached his forehead and she leaned back looking into his eyes, those lilac pools grabbing his attention.

~ 0 ~

 _"Okay girl don't freak out, you just want him to relax. I mean look at what he's done for You so far. Hell, he even told you he still hasn't gotten around to getting you that dinner. He's not substituting the clothes as compensation or anything."_ Her mind was working a mile a minute going over the last few hours when it hit her. "Oh my Oum it's only been a few hours, what the hell am I doing?"

Yang and Hei were both experiencing the same sudden realization that what they were doing was defiantly not the norm for either of them. It might not have been right on principle seeing that they just met, but neither could deny. It felt so nice to lean on each other and know that there were no serious expectations to be met. Looking into each others eyes they seemed to reach similar conclusions.

"Yang I don't want anything from you so you don't have to do anything to keep me here."

"Li I want you to relax and enjoy yourself because I think you a decent guy and hopefully I can call you a friend."

Hei smiled internally at having dodged a bullet that could have cost him a _friend_.

Yang's smile brightened as the truth she really didn't have to impress him or anything was spoken directly to her. The feeling of making a good friend washed over her as she pressed her fingers along his forehead smoothing out the small creases on Hei's forehead as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She'd never done this for anyone but her dad.

"Don't worry about whatever it is. I'll be here to take the stress away and smooth the creases on your forehead when things get to be to much for you. We're friends after all. Right?"

Hei almost choked when he heard what Yang said and pulled her close to him. An old memory came to him of a tall blond woman doing something similar. "Thank you Yang." He said in his calm and pensive voice. One he hadn't used since he was fifteen before he became a mercenary.

They stepped apart from each other but Yang grabbed his arm and grinned up at him with a peace sign in the other hand. He returned hers smile with a small genuine one of his own and held up his free hand with one finger raised. "Well Yang, nice to know you think of yourself as number two because I consider myself number one."

Yang flushed opening her mouth to retort when Hei put a finger over her lips and smiled. "Now lets get going. No need to argue about an established fact." Yang just looked at him in bewilderment and then smiled lightly while shaking her head happily, small giggles passing her covered lips.

~ 0 ~

As Hei and Yang walked along the sidewalk a figure watched them from the street corner connecting to a lesser used back road. As they continued down the sidewalk in the opposite direction the figure stepped out from the shadows and followed them narrowing her eyes. She wore a short kimono in red with black accents, red shoulder and arm guards over black arm warmers, long black hair with black thigh high boots, blood red eyes and pale skin.

She clenched her fists as she watched the two go down the sidewalk. Her daughter Yang was smiling brightly while leaning heavily on the man she was with. That brought the corners of her lips up slightly forming a line instead of her ever constant frown.

She didn't know much about the man but if Lucis and _She_ were interested in him then he had to be a force to be reckoned with. _"At least she's drawn to power. It'll help keep her safe and it might even benefit me."_

 **"So what do you think about the tall one, Raven?"** A dark charming and slightly raspy voice whispered in her ear.

She didn't so much as glance in the direction of the one speaking, and it wouldn't have done her any good. No matter how much you look you can't see what isn't there.

She huffed slightly before responding. "He's just a person of interest to my _Employer._ But if you're interested in my thoughts about him he must be strong. That or a key component in whatever plan your scheming." Raven grit out through clenched teeth. A calm passive look quickly washed over her face as she closed her eyes and let out a quick breath trying to relax. "Anyways, what do you want Lucis?"

 **"Truly Raven there's no need to act so unfamiliar with me, after all I am your Familiar."** Lucis said in a slightly amused tone.

"Was that supposed to be a pun?" Raven asked in an unamused tone.

 **"No. It was just a reminder that I know you better than anyone else. And as your closest** _ **friend**_ **."**

Raven doubled over as all the air in her lungs was expelled by a hit to her solar plexus. She couldn't move and saliva dripped from the corners of her mouth as she tried to gasp for breath.

 **"I'll remind you. Don't try my patience. You are mine and you will do as I say… or else."**

For the first time in almost eighteen years she felt fear. Fear of the dark and what hides in it.

A couple who had seen her quickly crossed the road to avoid her. She glared at them and grit her teeth just barely taking in enough air to stay conscious. _"Fucking busybodies."_

Her legs slowly carried her in to a shadowy ally as her breathing slowly returned to normal. She hated how that bastard, whatever he was, could get through her aura and harm her so easily. Hell she'd been punched when she had no aura before and it still didn't affect her anywhere near as bad.

When she reached the back of the alley she stood tall glaring at the shadows. "What did you want Lucis?" She said in a firm tone dripping with venom.

 **"Well I wanted to speak to you of course. Now lets have a quick chat. Also."** A pain shot through her gut again only it felt like something internal was hurt and she coughed up a little blood. **"It was rather rude of you not to laugh at my pun."**

"You bastard you said it wasn't a pun. FUCK YOU!"

The disembodied voice tutted as the shadows in the alley darkened, gaining a solid quality to them.

 **"Well how does it feel to be put through the same treatment you put your subordinates through? I'm just teaching you a lesson. Don't push people with ridiculous expectations."**

Raven clenched her fists and glared at the shadows. "Your one to talk. You forced me to abandon my life in order to protect people who I don't even know or even care about anymore."

The voice chuckled darkly. **"Raven, Raven, Raven. You are funny."**

 **"I didn't force you to do anything. I simply pushed you in a direction you were already headed down. I even let you make a decision. It was you who decided what to do with your life. You alone are responsible for abandoning your family. You made the decision that staying away from them would make your self appointed task easier. I just took advantage of you."**

The shadows in the ally swallowed the entrance behind her filling in all the space and blocking out all the light. She could feel _them_ and hear their whispers. The shadows ebbed and flowed around her making her feel uncomfortable.

 **"Because you were and are weak. You hold some things dear that keep you vulnerable and can't let go. Do not blame me for your actions. I helped shape you but I am not your creator. You are not beholden to me in any way other than to repay a debt."**

Raven clenched her fists looking coldly into the dark abyss. "You told me that if you were going to protect Yang I had to do whatever you said!"

There were hisses and mockingly cold laughter echoing around her but the slow pensive chuckle was the one she payed attention to.

"Whats so funny?"

 **"Name one time I told you to abandon your previous life or to act as my pawn."**

Raven sifted through her memories but couldn't find any.

The chuckle returned but with a genuine air of humor as opposed to irony. **"You can't think of any can you. That's because I need you to help me. If I truly am a schemer then that makes me an architect and at best that makes you a tool. If the tool refuses to work then I am left with no option but to force it too. But a well maintained tool works excellently. Imagine my surprise and joy when you decided to throw everything away to do as I asked."**

"Bastard!"

 **"Call me what you will. I simply let you choose."**

"You manipulated me! For 17 years!"

 **"No. You simply didn't think to ask any questions. I took advantage of you yes, but I left you alone for weeks and months at a time to do what you wish. I did not manipulate you. I have no need to. Whether you accomplish my goals for me or I wait for time to take it's own course I will witness what I desire. I have no limit on time after all."**

Raven drew her sword and slashed at the darkness. Screams and wails erupted in a maelstrom around her. "I swear if you wasted my time."

 **"Ah. And there it is. Time. You care more about yourself and your precious time than you do your own flesh and blood. We are far more alike than you think little Munin."**

The words cut deep. Her grip tightened on her blade causing her hands to bleed. She refused to believe she was similar to this thing. "I'm nothing like you!"

 **"Ah. But you have only ever done the things I have asked of you. Things I did or would do myself. And without question might I add. We would have gotten along very well in another lifetime."**

Suddenly she felt her body stiffen and she was forced to sheath her blade. Then she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. **"Don't be scared."**

A pair of dark bottomless eyes with clear molten gold irises stared back at her from the abyss. They gave off a sickly violet light that mesmerized her. It was like looking into the soul of darkness itself. It held no malicious intent but the unmitigated power and intelligence that lay deep within of its eyes was so absolute that just by looking into them she felt a pull on her very soul.

Her heart grew cold at the sight in front of her. The being had never deigned her worthy of it's full attention except a few times when she was younger. The first time being when she was a little girl about 12 discovering her semblance. Then again when she was a huntress in training back at Beacon, and the last time had been at the hospital all those years ago. But over the course of the last 17 years the visits and instructions grew increasingly more frequent and detailed. But never had The figure had eyes before.

Lucis reached out to Raven causing her to recoil.

"I still have no clue what you are but you're definitely not human!" she spat at the figure. Lucis flinched and pulled away from her.

 **"You would be correct. I am not nor was I ever human. But I assure you I was not always this."** The shadow gestured to itself and then looked back at Raven. " **The last thing I want to do is hurt you. I try to avoid unnecessary messes."**

"Oh I'm sure you do." Raven said in an ice cold tone thinking back to the _lesson_ he'd just taught her.

Lucis looked at Raven and sighed.

 **"You may believe what you will, but one who knows nothing can understand nothing. Oh and one last thing. It is midnight correct?"**

Raven pulled out her scroll and looked at the time. "Yes w…" A stabbing pain shot through her eyes, causing her to stumble. A poisonous violet glow that grew into a darker blood red started to fill her crimson irises and blood dripped from her beautiful face.

 **"A parting gift dear Raven, you'll need it. After all on this most auspicious of days Odin and the true king return."**

The figure shrunk and contorted to become the same shape that Ravens shadow should have been, but the eyes remained for just a bit longer. **"Remember Raven, I am all that stands between your daughter and."** The head of Ravens shadow turned away as if reluctant. **"her untimely demise."**

Raven clenched her fists and ground her teeth while looking down. "I'll keep working towards your goal as long as you keep your end of the bargain."

 **"As I've said. So long as you do what's asked of you I will continue to draw attention away from your daughter."** Her shadow looked back at her.

"Lucis I swear, if you fail to protect Yang I… will make you hurt. I don't take kindly to those who waist my time and liars even less."

 **"I swear to you Raven that losing her is not an option to me because, He… needs her, Raven."**

Those were the last words the thing spoke before the world gradually became lighter as the presence faded.

Raven stood up and wiped the blood from her otherwise flawless face, a portal materializing next to her which she quickly stepped through.

~ 0 ~

 _"What could Lucis want now after all this time. Giving me orders almost daily and then nothing for two months."_ Until now that is she thought bitterly. _"and what does any of this have to do with that man?"_ She wondered while thinking back to the comment Lucis made.

 _ **"So What do you think about the tall one?"**_

Raven thought about that. _"Lucis has never shown interest in anyone before, its always general instructions or kill, name goes here."_

As she stepped out of a portal she found herself in an alley. Her daughter was just now passing by, still smiling and laughing with her target.

 _"Lucis has never asked me what I thought about anyone before."_

Her eyes narrowed as a confused look came across her face. "Just who are you Li Shengshun, and what role do you play in all of this?"

Just then his last passing words registered to her. "Who are Odin and the True King he mentioned?"

she continued watching the two as she pieced her thoughts together. A quick review of her relationship with her daughter and her daughters father Taiyang Xiao Long ebbed through her psyche.

Actually thinking about the topic for the first time in a while she realized she didn't care much for Taiyang at all anymore and over the years she'd grown distant from her own daughter due to the _things_ Lucis had her do along with her self inmposed isolation in strengthening the tribe.

She almost didn't feel human anymore. Although that didn't mean she wanted them dead, or that she'd stand by and let it happen. Everyone got one. Sadly though it was more out of principle than emotion. She started this to save them and she'd be damned if all that time and energy went to waist.

Lucis had always made comments about what she did, like tell her she was stupid or ignorant but there had been the rare compliment in between the orders. Thinking back all those years ago when she had been in the hospital, just after giving birth to Yang. That had been the last time Laine had decided to speak to her while giving her his full attention. "Until now that is." she said under her breath

Watching Yang brought her back to that dark hospital room almost Eighteen years ago when she had to make the decision that would change everything in her life.

~ 17 years ago Vale Hope Hospital maternity ward ~

 _ **"Hmm, very peculiar indeed… that the fate of the world should rest on the shoulders of one so young."**_

Ravens eyes shot open and she bolted upright. "Who's there!" she demanded. Her eyes scanned around her room but found nothing. Her eyes quickly flashed to the corner of the room where her babies crib rested.

She remembered how stressful labor had been on her and how tiring arguing to keep little Yang was. It had taken a good thirty minutes trying to convince the doctor but she managed to get them to let her keep Yang in the room with her.

Her crimson eyes fell to her daughter as a warm smile full of pride came to her lips. Getting up she noticed that even with the crib being by the window it was the darkest part of the room.

A frown marred her soft features. She was wide awake now and her senses were on alert her heart started to beat faster. She couldn't hear any noise except that of her daughters breathing and… was that someone muttering?

Raven stood up tense and ready to fight tooth and nail while she walked to her baby's crib which seemed to be the source of the disembodied voice.

Ravens legs carried her towards the crib and her body relaxed. She looked down at a sleeping Yang with a head of thick blonde hair already. She smiled warmly and reached down caressing her child's soft cheek. Sighing she leaned back and took a deep breath letting her head fall back.

It was when she opened her eyes that she noticed something in the corner of the room where the walls met the ceiling. Fear gripped her heart and she froze seeing the figure from her past leaning down right over her daughter just above where her head had been.

It was slowly reaching down with one hand ghosting around Yang's head making the slumbering baby shift uncomfortable. Her body suddenly froze up and she remembered a night a long time ago when something like this had happened. Back when she was a little girl.

The figure was darker than the surrounding shadow but had a transparent quality to it that made it hard to see unless you were looking for it. Ravens mouth dried up and she felt her heart drop to her stomach. "What do you want Lucis." She said as firmly as possible.

The figure responded in an amused tone looking towards her while walking upside down across the ceiling, getting closer with every step. _**"I want many things."**_

Raven clenched her fists and scowled, not able to do much more with the figure influencing her body.

"What do you want with my daughter, and what was that you said about her." Lucis gave a short twisted and tortured laugh that rumbled like a beowolf's growl.

 _ **"To put it simply she's going to die because she draws to much attention."**_

Ravens eyes had a questioning glint as they gained an icy quality. She fought against the influence on her body and moved closer to the crib leaning over Yang protectively with a snarl on her face. "And how would my shadow know that?" She asked spiting out the words with as much venom as possible.

Faster than she would have been able to move without restriction, two dark and powerful hands grasped each side of her face pulling her close to what she assumed was eye level.

 _ **"I am not your Shadow Raven, I am a parasite leaching off you every second of your life."**_ The strength of the hands on her face increased causing her to wince in pain. _ **"I have stolen your life and semblance slowly but surely, from the day you were borne, so to keep you strong I gave you gifts such as your portals in an attempt to make you much stronger than you would be alone."**_

Raven knew Lucis was telling the truth because people like doctors, family and friends had all said as much but they never knew about Lucis and just how right they were.

 _ **"Now that you're daughter has been born she has started to draw the attention of that which she is a threat to. It will seek her out for the virtue of her simply existing. They are connected after all, with each being the bane of the others existence conflict is inevitable."**_

Ravens head was swimming with this information. Over the years Lucis had told her about events and what lead to them before they happened. Many times she had been the tool to his machinations and brought about things that ultimately saved lives, but caused so much pain. "I can't believe how naive I was for listening to you for all those years." She Ground out through clenched teeth. "I refuse to be your puppet anymore go find someone else!"

The hands around her face moved to her throat and tightened, slowly choking the life out of her. _**"That is where you misunderstand."**_ Lucis pulled her close and Raven swore she could see the thoughts of this… thing. _**"You have no choice. I have been through too much and been able to hold on to so little that there is nothing I am not willing to do in order to reach my goal, but I made a promise long ago that I try to hold to this day."**_

Raven looked at Lucis with a curious gaze becoming light headed with the lack of oxygen. "What's that supposed to mean to me?" She said in a condescending tone. Lucis' grip around her throat tightened like a vise and now she couldn't breath at all. _ **"It means I don't want to hurt you because it would mean throwing away the last thing I hold dear to me, but do not test me because… I will eat you alive and throw you into the darkest throws of chaos and pandemonium."**_

Raven was struggling to breath and her body was feeling weaker with every passing second as the darkness of the monster in front of her encroached on her vision, while the hands around her neck pulled her against its face. _**"I don't need you to protect my loved ones..Your nothing but a monster. Those words have been spoken to me many a time throughout the ages and not once has the speaker regretted them only to beg for my help later."**_

Raven glared with all her might at the figure. _**"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and the path to heaven is covered in blood."**_ Lucis said darkly. _**"Let me show you little raven what I am offering to save your daughter from."**_

Those were the last words she heard as the world around her faded to black.

~ Alley ~

*Shckt* Raven was pulled from her memories at the sound of a lighter being struck. Looking over her shoulder she saw a man in a white coat, classy brown dress shoes with black pants a cane with black gloves and a bowler hat to top it all off. "What do you want Roman?"

The man took a drag from the newly lit cigar and then tapped the ashes. "Well a little pick pocket came and told me to meet a contact here." He grinned and swung his cane in circles while walking up to stand next to Raven.

"So. that him?" Roman narrowed his eyes as he located Hei in the line to get into The Club.

"Yes that's him, Li Shengshun." Raven glanced at Roman folding her arms and leaning on her left leg. "Our Mutual friend told me to give you this." Raven pulled out a white envelope from her kimono and held it out to Roman.

After taking the envelope from Ravens outstretched hand he opened it and read the contents as a few documents fell into his open hand. "So this my newest job." he said in a drawling voice looking at Raven. "You know it doesn't mention what to do if he's got company." He said with a grin.

Suddenly a sword was pressed to Romans neck and a long thin metal spike was pointed at Her own jugular. Ravens eyes narrowed as she summoned a small portal just big enough for the metal spike to pass through.

"If you touch her I'll kill you." The spike seemed to press closer to her and suddenly recoil as a young woman with pink and brown hair with streaks of white appeared out of nowhere. She was wearing a chocolate brown corset with similarly colored pants and black gloves. A pink belt held up her pants and she wore white boots the same color as her jacket with pink accents. The girl gave her a nasty glare as she held a hand to her neck where raven could see a bit of blood passing through her fingers.

"Whoa easy there Birdie just pointing it out. Besides I don't do kids not my style, I'm a criminal mastermind and master thief extraordinaire after all, not some cold blooded murderer." He said in a nonchalant tone pushing her blade away with a gloved finger as he walked to the edge of the ally.

 _"Can't say the same for that bastard though."_ He thought to himself as his gazed moved from the blonde girl to his apparent target and then over at Neo. "Beside, its not like I get paid extra for anything." He grinned and started walking, "tata Birdie. Come on Neo we have work to do."

She looked at Raven sheathing the blade in her parasol while giving the older woman a glare that would make the dead shudder in their graves. She turned and walked off waving her hand in a cutesy way that to anyone who knew her was a promise of pain.

When she got even with roman she disappeared. He walked across the street to a door at the side of the club and walked inside.

In the alleyway all that remained was a cat, fish bone in its mouth watching as the last few strands of black hair passed though a portal in the side of the alley. The cat dropped the bones from its mouth and jumped to the ground walking to another alley meowing in a dubious tone as if to say. "Yeah that's the last time I eat bones out of the trashcans behind that restaurant, what was it called? The Dinner" Meow meow meow.

~ The Club ~

After waiting for a little over an hour Hei and Yang walked in the entrance to The Club well passed midnight. The sounds from the street could no longer be heard. Only the low electrical hum of high powered base speakers and sub woofers could be made out from just beyond the large glass doors at the end of the hall.

Yang looked up at Hei, who was looking down the hall at a clock. She wondered what he was thinking about.

 _"It's past midnight and I still haven't eaten yet."_ Hei complained silently, _"We got to town at 9:22 for crying out loud!"_ He shouted in his head.

Yang looked away from Hei and let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. _"Oh, my Oum I can't believe what I'm doing."_ She walked with a relaxed posture trying to appear mellow but her heart was racing and she felt light headed after everything that had happened over the last few hours. _"Come on get a hold of yourself girl, nothing's happened you're just having fun with a guy who's not ogling you and your about to get info on your mom."_ She mentally slapped herself.

A realization hit Yang that indeed nothing had happened between her and her companion. Her steps slowed as she thought about it. _"We actually haven't done anything."_ She looked at Hei out of her peripheral a thought crossing her mind. _"Do I want something to happen? And how would I feel if anything did?"_

 _"He seems like a nice guy, and I'm not saying anything serious would come of it but."_ A light flush came to her cheeks and she smiled to herself while turning her head away from Hei to hide her embarrassment.

 _"I get the feeling I wouldn't regret if something did… happen."_ Her flush turned to a full-blown blush and she could feel herself get a warm fuzzy sensation in her chest that spread down to her belly as her hormone addled imagination began whispering sweet nothings to her, _"Let's wait and see what happens."_

~ 0 ~

Hei noticed Yang's troubled state and mentally sighed Giving an annoyed grimace at Yang behind her back. "This is bad. I hope she doesn't start to get any kind of romantic feelings for me like Suou did." He sighed quietly. _"that's something I could definitely do without. I'm not exactly equipped to be in an romantic relationship."_ he thought while watching her taking note of just what she was doing.

 _"It's not gonna be good if something complicated comes from this, I need to get her mind off me."_

Looking forward Hei noticed they were in front of the large glass doors that separated the hall from The Club, were opening.

~ 0 ~

(Song: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah- heads will roll, A-Track Remix)

Yang stopped blushing and looked up at the clubs' floor. The different psychedelic colored lights making the place look like an acid trip as they walked on to the main floor.

Hei slipped from Yang's mind as her eyes landed on the person she originally came out here to see. Junior. Her eyes widened in anticipation as she looked at the open floor a determined glint appearing in her eyes. She'd done it. She'd managed to get in The Club and all it had taken was a bike ride.

~ 0 ~

Hei, now nothing more than a passing memory, watched as Yang walked off and made her way directly to a tall solidly built man tending one of the bars.

He pinched the bridge of his nose closing his eyes. _"Or I could wait for the loud sounds, bright lights and big bar tender to distract her." H_ e thought to himself in an exasperated tone. "I really do worry to much." Letting his hand drop he looked back up. "I just hope this doesn't turn in to a bar fight, I haven't even had dinner yet." Hei dropped his hand while opening his eyes and looked up.

His eyes lidded as they locked with another pair belonging to a girl leaning on the back wall of the club. Dark blue met pink and brown. The short girl noticed that she'd been caught staring and her eyes widened as she stood up straight, her body tense.

After a few seconds Hei watched the girl relax and turn her body away from him, her eyes becoming half lidded her lush lips forming a sly playful smirk. Then she walked to a door in the back with an extra sway to her hips that he knew was meant to tease. Just as she reached the door she turned waved to him with a cute innocent smile and a ditsy tilt of her head, then she just disappeared.

A groan escaped Hei's lips and he began walking towards that same door. "She's definitely dangerous." he sighed in his cold annoyed tone noting her ability to disappear. "She was definitely looking for me which is in itself bad and opens up a whole new number of possibilities, and none of them promising to be remotely nice."

He looked towards the bar Yang had walked off to and saw her easing her way out of conversations, most likely trying to avoid causing any scenes before making it to the bar.

"She should be fine. I don't want her to get involved in this." He sighed. "whatever _this_ is. Why can't my life ever be as simple as my jobs? Go in pretend to be a waiter or something and then kill someone or find something, maybe both, then I'm out." Hei shook his head and continued his way to the door. Independence was such a drag sometimes.

On his way to the door he started putting some serious thought into the situation. Like how that girl or anyone for that matter possibly knew who he was. He couldn't think of anything except at the clothing store with all the reporters and photographers. Thinking about it his face was known but name and anything else wasn't.

The stuck up blonde kid definitely seemed the type to order a hit or something similar but that didn't explain how they would know where we were going when I didn't even know."

He put his hand on the door when it hit him. "They could just be luring me away from Yang, who's a regular in the area. In which case she's the real target… not me." He looked back over his shoulder. "Yang, what did you do?" he cursed under his breath as he quickly made his way to the bar he saw Yang head to. The entire time there was a voice in the back of his head asking him why he even cared. After all if that were the case It had nothing to do with him."

~ 0 ~

Yang had finally made it to the bar Junior was working at and sighed in relief as she took a seat. "Hey Junior come here a second." She called after catching her breath.

The man looked up and scanned the top of the bar from right to left. He saw Yang last and sighed internally while putting on a smile and walked over. Yang's hopes rose. "Wow ever since I met Li I've had some pretty good luck."

"So, what can I help you with Goldilocks."

(Song stop)

~ An hour earlier in a back room at The Club ~

The small room was lit by a single bulb that hung from a long wire in the center. Roman scrunched up his nose and looked at the dismal condition of the room if you could call it that. It reminded him so much of the utility closets he used at Beacon. The times he'd avoid teachers and student aids on patrol while sneaking in alcohol floated pleasantly through his mind. "The good old days." He whispered to himself.

An amused Neo watched as her partner in crime and older brother figure, which she would never admit to, took a much-needed stroll down memory lane. She rolled her eyes bringing up the picture in her hand of their latest target. She was surprised how normal he looked at first glance. He was well groomed had an average build from what she could tell but he looked like a regular civilian if you took him out of the clothes he wore in the photo. He seemed less pathetic than their usual marks though. _"Was it the eyes?"_ she wondered to herself.

While looking at his profile she'd noticed that his smile never reached his eyes in any of the pictures. It wasn't the same way a depressed person smiled, or a fake smile like a liar would put on. He definitely pulled it off but it was almost like he didn't know how to _feel_ it. She was intrigued to say the least but what got her were his eyes.

Or correction. His eye coupled with his expression in this one. she held her favorite picture of him up. The one that… did things to her. It made a tingling feeling travel up and down her back and had her toes curl in excitement. Her heart started beating faster than when she killed, the feeling was intoxicating. She pulled the picture close and a blush rose on her cheeks at the look in his eyes.

 _"Oh, my Oum if your body can do half of what your eyes can do…"_ Her thoughts trailed off, her body leaning back on the couch in the small room, shuddering as she thought about her, sorry _their_ new target. She could feel her core heating up and something was happening to her heart.

She looked back to the photo and decided she had to have him. Those dead eyes with that angry twisted look deep in them like he wanted to completely tear something apart. That look of utter loathing and concentration that promised pain and begged for something… more, as if there was nothing left but pain and he wanted to impart some of it to you.

Oh, Neo was a bad girl and she knew it, but dangerous boys just turned her on so much. Especially when they looked like everything just hurt so good. _"He's so gonna be mine."_ She thought to herself devilishly while kissing the photo before slipping it into the breast pocket inside her coat, _"He just doesn't know it yet."_

Neo stood and turned. A light flush on her cheeks as she faced Roman. He gave her a knowing stare having caught on to how she treated that photo since she got it ten minutes ago. It made his skin crawl for more than a few reasons. To which she replied with a happy smile while twirling her parasol.

She tilted her head and suddenly grabbed her parasol in a vice grip going completely still. She looked at him with annoyed half lidded eyes as if to say. You talk you die, you annoy me… you die.

Roman may have been precious to her but she wasn't past threatening him and making his life harder. He could keep his nose out of her business easily but if he wanted to stick it where it didn't belong he would know. She'd make sure of it.

~ 0 ~

Roman just stared at Neo and sighed while facepalming. "Neo I don't really care what you want to do just remember he is a mark at the moment, and all that implies." Neo smiled and went back to sitting on the worn but still fluffy leather couch while kicking her legs giving Roman a pleased smirk.

He couldn't believe what he was getting himself into for this psycho girl. He turned away fixing his collar and adjusting his hat hiding the pained look on his face as he faced away from Neo. If only she knew, and yet it would be better if she never remembered. While they continued to wait for Junior The hum of the base from the speakers outside reverberated through the walls and a low beat lulled him into a state of deep reflection.

A few minutes later the door on the left side of the room opened to reveal a tall man dressed in a bar tender's ensemble. So, Roman, what's this job you just got and what does it have to do with me?

"Wouldn't you like to know." Roman smirked at Junior who rolled his eyes. "Still the same old roman I see, glad to know the years haven't changed ya." Junior drawled while rolling his eyes.

Roman hummed and gave his compatriot a bemused look. "Considering we do business regularly it's hard to tell if that was an insult or an attempt at humor." Junior just folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. Romans face fell. "Fine, you're no fun. Here. This is what the person you'll be distracting looks like." He held out a picture to Junior.

The taller man grabbed the photo keeping eye contact with Roman until the smooth criminal blew out a puff of smoke letting go allowing Junior to see who it was. His eyes narrowed upon recognizing the girl in it as the rowdy blonde he'd seen around trying to get into the club recently.

"Is this some kind of joke Roman?" Junior asked looking up at him over the picture, his tone of voice suggesting he didn't find it funny one little bit.

"Whhhhaaaaaat? Why of course not my dear Junior I assure you she's coming and I want her separated from her rather dashing companion."

Junior raised a skeptical eyebrow giving Roman a weary look. Roman flicked his cigar letting the ashes fall to the floor while shrugging a shoulder. "The man knows how to dress and I respect that." He said gesturing to his own refined yet loud ensemble trying to distract himself from just who the man was. "Look Junior Its fine with me if you're not interested, I'll just explain to _Her_ you weren't interested."

Junior eyed Roman as the man began accentuating his words with his hands. "Oh, whatever will I do". Roman smirked and looked towards Neo. "Hey darling do you feel up to making your desert money for the week."

Neo's eyes widened and a smile split her features as she stood up stepping towards Roman when Junior grabbed his shoulder pulling him back. "Now hold on a moment Torchwick we can talk this out like grownups surely."

Roman tapped his chin and hummed deep in thought for a second then leaned back. "No. I don't think so I can be pretty childish, and when I want something I just have to have it." Roman smirked. "Been that way since I was a kid. You should know."

Junior clenched his fists and grumbled. "That attitude made you real popular in the sandbox Torchwick."

Roman's smirk fell and an annoyed look crossed his features. "I managed."

Neo looked back and forth between the two before facepalming. _"Boys."_ She thought in a long drawn out and exasperated tone.

She walked to the couch jumping on to It, laying across it gracefully as she pulled out a magazine she'd been wanting to read. She lost interest the second she flipped open the magazine and her eyes landed on an interesting article about new grim being sighted around coastal towns and by the oceans connected to the Grimm Lands. While she read she only picked up bits and pieces of what the two in the corner were discussing. That was until the recent object of her affections was mentioned.

"So, this Hei… I take it he's pretty dangerous if _she's_ showing interest." Junior spoke in a hushed tone looking at the ground between himself and Roman.

Neo looked up and a flush came to her cheeks as images of what he could do to grim without so much as lifting a finger came to her mind. The way he looked when he killed. It made her want to see him in the act. She looked up at Junior and a hungry smile spread across her lips, "Oh if only you knew." She thought to herself darkly.

"Yeah you could say that." Roman said closing his eyes looking off to the side. When Neo looked away he looked Junior dead in the eye. "Don't act over friendly with this guy if you get close to him, he'll tear you apart if you get in his way. Just like…" He glanced over at Neo a far away look coming to him. "…He did to her."

Junior gulped.

"Just keep the girl busy." Roman let out a breath, smoke filling the small room floating up to the ceiling while he nodding.

"Give her whatever she wants. Nothings to much." Junior said in a half questioning tone.

Roman snapped his fingers then clapped his hands together pointing at Junior while grinning with his cigar between his teeth. "Exactly."

"Now get out of here Junior this might be your club but we both know when _She_ wants something." He motioned between himself Junior and Neo then waved his hand around. "We do it."

Junior gulped sweat trickling down his face as the face of a tall pale woman with calm features popped into his head. Neo looked at him and rolled her eyes at how scared he was of her _._ In her own opinion, she didn't even pretend to think she could take _her_ on but she could hold her own in a fight and running or escaping wasn't a problem.

Roman smiled a dangerously friendly smile and put one had on his hip the other swinging his cane. "I'm meeting a couple more of her lackeys here in a few minutes and you're not privy to the topic we'll be discussing, capisce?"

Junior nodded standing to leave the room but stopped with his hand on the door and turned his head just enough to be heard better but not make eye contact. "He the one then…" Junior asked trailing off.

Neo looked from Junior to Roman having no clue what that meant. She continued watching as her boss's posture changed and he turned to face away from Neo and looked at junior then turned his head pulling his bowler hat over his eyes. "Yeah… so, just don't do anything stupid." He sighed, "Not this late in the game."

Junior nodded and left the room, leaving a bewildered Neo and a strangely quiet Roman Torchwick.

Neo walked up to Roman and watched him while he just stood there as if nothing except the inside of his hat existed.

~ The Club bar, Yang and Junior ~

"So, what can I help you with Goldilocks?"

Yang looked at Junior in annoyance. She stood up leaning over the counter exposing just enough of her chest to make any guy wanna look. "Who told you it was okay to call me that? Huh?"

Junior half bowed. "No offense meant, is there a particular name or way you'd prefer I used to refer to you?"

Yang's eyes got wide and a smile spread across her face. "Now that's good service. Oh and you can just keep calling me Goldilocks it has a nice ring to it."

 _"Well now I have an excuse to not give him my real name."_ She thought deviously.

Junior sweat dropped and ground his teeth behind her back. _"She's a total bitch."_ He looked up forcing a good customer service smile, standing straight ready to do what needed to be done to distract her. "so how can I help you? Drink, appetizer Or?"

"I want to know about this lady." Yang said with a smug smile making its way to her face as she interrupted him. Junior looked down at a picture being held out to him in her left hand.

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Juniors head slowly drawing out every passing second. _"She literally wants million Lien information and I have to give it to her for free!"_ He shook his head. _"This better be worth it."_

~ Across the Club at one of the tables lining the dance floor, Hei ~

Hei Watched Yang over the top of a glass of the thickest darkest brew he could get his hands on. He hoped she didn't start anything He just wanted to get out of there and find somewhere to sleep. Eating wasn't an option if he would have to leave a single bite uneaten to run. He supposed he could wait till tomorrow to eat. After all what was a few more hours on top of four days? The human body could go for a month without food if absolutely necessary.

Narrowing his eyes he downed a couple mouthfuls from the cup followed by a grimace placing the cup on the table. It wasn't as strong as the stuff back home but with his lack of food it hit harder than it should have and he could feel a buzz coming on. He sighed. "I could see people living off this stuff like it were water though."

~ Off somewhere on a dusty old lonely road… ~

"Fucking Ozpin, ARGGGGHHHHHHH!" The crash of foliage could be heard. "Oh, hello there Qrow I need you to run a reconnaissance mission in the middle of butt fucking nowhere, find something that most likely isn't even there, bring back any proof whatsoever and report back all details asap." The opening of a flask could be heard with the sound of chugging following for a few seconds.

"He expects all that on a teacher's salary! And this is the guy leading us… Oum help us all if that nutcase is our best mind."

Before Qrow could put the lid back on his flask a sneeze tickled his nose causing him to stub his boot on a rock making him trip. "Oh, Fuck Me!" He yelled while falling, the sneeze finally breaking free causing him to lose his grip on the flask.

Getting up and crawling to his butt Qrow spied the now empty flask… "Fuck you Ozpin." He cursed under his breath, "this is all your fault somehow I swear it! This and the god damned rain that put out my fire!" He shouted raising a fist into the air.

~ Back room at The Club, Roman and Neo ~

Neo sat on the couch swinging her legs and watching the door expectantly. She was sure he'd seen her. She'd seen it. The way his dull eyes watched her focusing on her every move drawing her in. It was like looking into an abyss.

She'd had to look away. It'd felt like she was being pulled in face to face with a monster. A being so powerful that killing was something that mattered little to it, as if it were no more than a concept. An act as meaningless as breathing. It just happened and it wasn't something to bother worrying about.

She'd hesitated when she realized he caught her staring. She'd felt fear grip her heart and a tingle run down her spine. He was intelligent with the way he watched her. Like a predator cataloging everything about it's prey. Much like she was supposed to do to him. She could still feel his gaze scanning every inch of her gauging her, but not afraid. No… never afraid.

She looked over at Roman who was leaning against a wall. After a few more minutes he looked back over in Neo's direction giving her a questioning look. Her response was to give him a shrug.

"Neo, I thought you had this part. Didn't you get his attention?" Neo nodded and then gave a ditsy smile while offering an exaggerated shrug. "So where the hell is he?"

She gave Roman an exasperated look and rolled her eyes. In her head, she was wondering why he would have ignored her to. Thinking on it she decided, fuck Roman and his opinions, if he was gonna be an asshole and blame her she could be a stuck up bitch. She put her face in her hands pantomiming crying and pining for a faraway love.

Roman took a long drag from his cigar and then spun his cane sighing. "So, even you don't know why he ignored you in all your short psychotic glory."

Neo stopped what she was doing and turned to face roman. She watched him with a faraway look in her eyes, then smiled softly and stood up walking right next to him. He flinched bringing his hand up thinking he'd pissed her off. "Not the face Neo."

She looked at Roman reaching for his collar fixing it and patted his shoulders then smiled while walking out the door to find their target before their other guests arrived.

Romans knees felt week and he would have fallen had it not been for his dear Melodic Cudgel. "Holly shit that little psychos gonna be the death of me, I swear it."

~ 0 ~

Hei was watching people dance, or trying to in most cases. Generally they were acting like idiots. Looking down into his glass he swirled the dark brown liquid captivate in its depths. "Bottoms up." He said before downing the last of his third glass.

He looked up, a small smirk coming to his face when he saw a blond kid about the same age as Yang. He was busting out some pretty well practiced moves if the other people cheering and watching were anything to go by.

"Must have a lot of sisters or a very active party life." Something made him keep watching the boy though. It was his face. He looked nervous like he wanted to be anywhere but here. His attentiveness paid off when one of the men dressed in a black suit with a red shirt and sunglasses topped with a black fedora walked up to the kid pulling him to the door he himself had almost gone through.

H's eyes narrowed. Just then someone pulled out one of the chairs to his table and sat down. He sighed turning to look at his visitor. Dark blue once again met pink and brown.

Neo smiled at Hei raising her hand holding a menu. A passing waiter grabbed it nodding but before she walked off the girl grabbed her wrist and pointed at the menu and then over at the bar in the back before she walked off. "Well You must be a regular." Hei said in monotone.

she nodded with obviously fake enthusiasm watching him with curious eyes. A small smile formed on her face as she used her fingers to push up the corners of her mouth, her elbows resting on the table as she leaned closer to him.

His eyes narrowed and he let out a breath.

~ 0 ~

Tonight had been the most eventful night of Yang's life. She managed to get both of the outfits she wanted without spending her own money and made an amazing friend. Said friend even helped her get in The Club and She'd just gotten news from an information broker that a woman she was sure was her mom was in town, and she hadn't even had to pay for it. Score!

The only bad news all night was that she found out her mom had dealings with the white fang and some shadow organization that wasn't exactly legal. Junior had told her that she wasn't part of them just worked with them, but he didn't know why. It was a hard pill to swallow, kinda like a chalky powdery grassy tasting horse pill if she had to explain it.

She'd heard a few things about her mom like how she went to Beacon like she was going to as well as having been on the same team as her dad Qrow and Summer. It was a weird feeling to think that someone who was so closely related to her and had been a huntress would go to such a lifestyle that involved terrorists.

She'd also learned her mother left her family to work for someone that could protect something important. What? Junior didn't know but it brought more questions that he didn't know the answers to either. At least she wasn't abandoned or left for no reason. It was still bullshit in her opinion but a reason non the less. She couldn't judge to much without the full story.

~ 0 ~

Junior watched the while The blonde chick chewed on the information he'd given her and he was sweating bullets hoping that it would pay off. L1.5 million wouldn't cover the cost of information but he doubted this girl would know that or share it and besides staying on _that_ woman's good side was essential to staying alive. He grimaced while cleaning up the dirty remains of five strawberry sunrises when his scroll started buzzing pulling him out of his thoughts.

Drying his hands, he answered it. "Ya. What is it Torch?"

On the other end Roman was waiting impatiently for the two he was supposed to meet and with his free time decided to give Junior the old heads up. "Oh don't sound like that Junior You did good, I'm just calling to tell you it might be a good idea to call security." He said in a mock concerned voice before taking a drag from his newest cigar. "Or just run."

Juniors eyes rose and he looked out to the dance floor in fear. "Why? What's going on?"

"Well little Neo decided to go for the target and I'm pretty sure it won't turn out pretty if our blonde friend found out considering who she's related to. So um uh yeah… bye."

Just then a waitress stopped by with a tray of drinks.

Junior paled as he recognized the two drinks. Strawberry sunrises.

"This is from the Young lady down there with the Young man." The girl said pointing before quickly walking off.

Junior facepalmed making a mental note to fire that girl. This wasn't the first time she'd assisted the little psychopath in her endeavors.

Yang was halfway through the first sunrise when she looked up where the waitress pointed and tensed.

Junior looked at Yang then to where she was looking and flinched. He quickly pulled out his scroll and called up security, his butt hitting the floor behind the bar with a thud as the call connected. "Melanie, Miltia Get out here now!" he strained out through clenched teeth, sweat pouring down his face.

~ 0 ~

Hei sat there watching the girl as her expression fell and she dropped her hands to the table. Hei's brain was working a mile a minute. A sudden realization coming to him, one that was far from comforting.

"No. What are the odds?" Hei whispered as he looked up at Neo a thin smile crawling across his lips. His eyes staring into the pink and brown of hers.

Neo looked right back and then blinked. She tilted her head stretching a hand out towards his face.

Hei tensed and he reacted on impulse. Neo's hand was just about to touch him when he stood knocking his chair back. Her eyes widened then went half lidded. A devious and playful smirk popping onto her face as she poked His left cheek.

A Smack could be herd and a few of the surrounding people within earshot looked up in the direction of the sound.

Neo's head was facing to the left. Her right cheek stung worse than when Roman smacked her for botching a job. It… hurt but not in a stinging and tender way. Numbness was spreading across her cheek and her jaw ached, that slap was meant to hurt and for a long time. She felt a strange tingling in the back of her head and felt a strange sensation stir in her gut.

"Don't touch me."

The cold tone made her flinch. She looked up at the man and into those cold dead unrelenting eyes. An ominous red color was glowing deep inside his pupils just starting to overflow into his irises. She couldn't move, her body was twitching slightly and she could see static jumping across her necklaces. Her eyes widened and when he reached out to her and she tried to curl in on herself shutting them tight.

Hei's hand caressed Neo's cheek. "You know."

She opened her eyes slightly and froze, her eyes widening in horror. Hei was nose to nose with her, his pupils still glowing.

"To anyone watching it looks like were kissing after a fight."

Neo tried to move but he had a firm hold on her head. She thought about using her semblance to make him think she'd disappeared but he would still be able to feel her and teleporting only worked when she could focus clearly but whatever he'd done to her still had her body tingling in that numb way when a limb falls asleep and her head felt fuzzy. Not to mention she doubted he would be fooled by it anyway.

Hei's hand moved to her ear subtly wrapping around her throat and back of her neck. She tried to turn away but his fingers bit in to her skin putting pressure on a nerve that made her feel light headed.

She tried to use her aura to push back on his grip but it barely helped. Hei watched the girl and felt her struggling in his grasp, like life to a soon to be corpse. He was getting lost in the feeling of control he had. Not over her, but over a life in general. While he watched her struggle, he felt like he was forgetting something very important. A cold alien feeling crept slowly into his mind.

He looked into her eyes, the corners of his mouth turning down in a disappointed frown while he slowly lessened his grip on her. This girl was important, very much so. If he continued to hurt her bad things would happen. His work would be ruined. But what work? Everything seemed to slow down and the music warped as he fell backwards into his own mind and everything went dark.

~ Unknown location ~

A Young Girl around 5 or 7 stood behind two people. She had pink and brown hair with white highlights. The two people standing behind her were a Young man and a young woman. Both looked to be around 18 to 20 years old.

The boy had bright ginger hair and a modified security baton. He wore a fancy white hoody with a high collar and black jeans with black business casual shoes. A cigarette in his mouth.

The girl next to him was the spitting image of Neo except for her height and hair. She was half a foot taller than the girl was at present and her hair was all pink, tied up in a lazy ponytail. Her weapon a parasol, like Neo's.

Hei could see the determined look in the eyes of the two young adults, but it didn't matter. "It never does." he sighed relaxing his body as he stood up straight.

The two teens glanced at each other sharing a grimace before nodding. The boy jumped at Hei and swung his baton.

Dodging at the last second he noticed the boy grin.

The boy leaned back using the momentum from his horizontal swing to throw his torso down and aim a jump kick at his chest.

Hei jumped back into a cork screw spin just dodging the boys kick but failing to see the pink and white blur in time.

A kick came flying for his face and he only just managed to bring an arm to cover his face as the girl's boot met his forearm. Her kick combined with his own jump knocked him off balance, sending him flying.

He hit the ground back first falling into a roll but he threw his hand out pushing off the ground springing into graceful recovery, back flipping to a ready stance. He looked across to his opponents watching as the girl gracefully flew through the air using her acrobatic semblance, which put her on par with him easily.

She landed next to the young girl after a triple backflip blowing a kiss. Her not so graceful partner stumbled to his feet after trying to copy one of the his own tricks he used earlier, and of course failing wonderfully.

Hei stood up straight sighing while shaking his head. He watched the two before him and closed his eyes behind the mask reveling in the relief that came with avoiding the eyes of the innocent. "Look you two. I only need the little girl so just hand her over." He said in a dark carefree tone.

The two teens eyed him and then the boy laughed. "What, no threat sir?"

The girl next to him slapped his arm. "Shut up Torch. We don't wanna piss him off."

"Oh calm down Ichigo. we can hold him off for another couple of minutes until Junior and that bitch Malachite get their asses here."

The girl glanced at the ginger haired boy. "Her names Clover, Torch. What did she do to piss you off?"

The boy shrugged and then they both fixed their gazes back on him.

"Anyways. I don't think it matters Torch." She let out a slow steady breath. "If we don't hold him then Neo…" She trailed off looking over her shoulder for just a second.

Torch grimaced and sighed. "Yeah yeah, stay focused I got it." He shook his shoulders and got into a ready stance as did Ichigo. They raised their weapons and charged.

Hei opened his eyes and grimaced behind the mask growling in an annoyed tone. "look I'm not going to hurt her, but I'm not above taking you out to get to her either."

He sprung in to action keeping low to the ground as he ran towards the two teens throwing a knife at the girl's head making her twist out of the way and take her eyes off him. As soon as he had the advantage he jumped into a no hand cartwheel between the two throwing his left hand out, a loop of flying wire passing around the girls head from behind.

Torch saw what the man did and swung for him but only managed to hit empty air. The attack flew by the man's head as he spun by, his weapon clashing horribly with the ground, reverberating against the concrete and throwing him off balance.

The masked man landed as the girl came to a stop after spinning. She Faced him while raising her weapon. Torch stumbled and jumped into a front flip, landing awkwardly as he spun to face his teammate who was staring down their opponent.

"Ichigo watch out!" He yelled hysterically, his eyes widening in terror. "There's wire around your throat!"

Ichigo's vision flashed to Torch in the middle of what he was saying. From her peripheral she saw the man reach for his belt and touch something. Her heart skipped a beat as the last few words left Torch's mouth and a zipping sound met her ears. "Roman!"

~ 0 ~

The Strawberry Sunrise sat forgotten by its Nemesis, the Small Sun Dragon. Said beast was looking off into the distance.

"What?…" Yang couldn't believe what she was seeing. From where she stood she had a perfect view of what appeared to be two lovers looking deep into each others eyes or kissing.

The ice in the forgotten glass melted just enough for more to fall in to the liquid causing a small tinkling noise. The odd noise brought Yang out of her shock.

She felt strange. Not bad per say. Just off. She reached out to her left and felt for what she knew wouldn't be there, because she could see him across the room with someone else… a female someone else. Her stomach twisted up. A very unpleasant empty feeling starting to spread with every passing moment making her feel cold.

She blinked a few times a sigh building up in her chest as her shoulders tensed. She held it for a few seconds then let the breath go, her stomach loosening up. She gripped the cloth of her shirt holding it tight. The feeling in her chest just wouldn't go away.

Her eyes lost some of their flair, a resigned smile creeping to her lips as she closed her eyes while shaking her head. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid… what the hell's going on with me?" She asked herself looking down at her feet.

That's when it hit her. Ahhh…. hello my old friend. The empty feeling was disappointment. It was Li, with how he ironically turned out to be a playboy.

When she first met him she'd commented on how he worked fast, then that Weiss girl. Now this. A petite busty girl with exotic looking hair.

She knew it was kinda unfair to judge him because in truth he never advertised what kind of person he was nor did he deny the joking statements she made earlier. Now here she was judging him. Maybe it was the feeling of rejection that came from nowhere. After all he hadn't tried anything on her despite her proximity with him for the past few hours.

Clenching her fists she huffed. "Oum damn it! I'm a young woman and I have a right to an opinion, and I call em like I see em!"

Yang opened her eyes while crossing her arms as she looked out at Li. "I thought you were different." She muttered under her breath. She looked away and huffed the fire having sparked in her eyes again.

With a huff she started walking towards the exit having accomplished what she set out to do in the first place anyways. If he was here to fuck around then he was free to do so. However with every passing step a small voice in her head asked over and over why she didn't go back and confront him. After all she wasn't some timid little. girl she was a huntress in training and she'd be at Beacon in about a week.

The closer she got to the exit the louder the voice in her head got and the more confidant she became. When she was a few yards from the giant glass doors she stopped, and looked down at her boots, the boots _he'd_ bought…for her.

She smiled a little and looked up a warm feeling filling up the emptiness in her chest. He had bought her these boots and her entire outfit without expecting anything in return and was even willing to foot the bill for dinner. Not to mention the entire time he'd shown little interest in her physically as well which still gave her mixed feelings, even more so now with what was going on. Her smile brightened paradoxically at the thoughts she was having when her eyes finally found him.

"We did say we'd be friends right?" The confidence she'd built up started to crumble and her smile fell almost instantly back down to an unsure curve of the lips. He was still standing there with "ugh." _That girl._ She started walking towards them some of her confidence having left her.

She closed her eyes and took a breath trying to relax. She ran a hand through some hair that had fallen over her shoulder. She fixed it while shaking her head gracefully whipping her hair back behind her. On her way towards Li's table an idea hit her. She turned to Juniors bar and grinned excitedly. Her walk turning in to a strut as she made her way back to the bar.

What she failed to notice was that not two seconds after she turned the Pinket that was with Hei had started leading him by the hand to the door from earlier that led to the back of the club.

~ 0 ~

Hei's eyes widened as everything faded to black again before the club came back into focus. The music sped back up and he snapped out of the memory. He blinked, looking into the wide terrified eyes of the young woman in front of him. A terrifying revelation occurred to him as he processed what just happened. No. What he remembered.

~ 0 ~

Neo was Freaking out at this point. She wanted to get away from this guy. Typically she would have run him through already but she couldn't for two reasons. One because he was important and _She_ needed him for something. The second. Well she still couldn't move but the numbness was slowly fading.

She glanced down and saw her fingers slowly tightening around her parasol. _"Damn it!"_ she thought. She could move but she could barely feel anything. What the hell had he done to her. It was like he used a taser on her that was strong enough to paralyze her for an extended time but not make her go limp.

Her eyes widened. _"Or it's affecting my nerves directly."_

Hei slowly let go of the girls neck letting his arm drop to his side.

Neo's eyes widened looking into his now calm and calculating dim blues. She smiled to herself, a strange feeling tickling at the back of her mind. She used one hand to poke Hei's nose, making his lips twitch in an uncomfortable grimace. She smiled smugly grabbing her scroll after not having received a slap this time.

~ 0 ~

 _"This girl. She's connected to whatever past I have here. It had to of been years ago but I don't feel any older than 26 and she's grown at least 10 years."_ Hei puzzled while the girl typed on her device.

"Time displacement through gravity manipulation of light particles." It was the only theory he could come up with that he himself might be capable of. _"The calculations for that would take a computer weeks… but for a human years didn't sound like a stretch. After all forward time travel is just creating a glorified time capsule which is possible with enough power or materials. One of which I've got in spades."_

Neo poked Hei's nose again to get his attention.

His eyes widened and he mentally berated himself for losing focus. _"Why am I so out of focus… Oh yeah sleep deprivation and lack of food."_

He looked at the object the girl put in his face and read the text on screen.

A suggestive emoji with a sideways look followed by the sentence "Is this gonna be a regular thing with you?" An emoji of a hurt face and then two people hugging followed.

Hei looked from the scroll to Neo. He sighed rubbing his temples. "No. It won't. I make it a point to get rid of my problems." His hand slid down his face wiping away the stress from the last few days before dropping to reveal narrowed eyes. "But I think you're worth keeping around. For now."

His response drew a silent whine and a deadly but beautiful pout from the short girl.

He watched her for a second while debating. _"Should I go along with her… or should I just let it go?"_

The short girl stretched a little and cracked her neck before typing on her scroll again. She looked up at him and then showed him the new message. "Follow me."

She started pulling him to the back of the club towards the door he almost walked through earlier.

Hei took her response in stride and calculated the pros and cons of an internal debate he started an hour ago. Should he pick Yang and see what doors she could open for him. Or the girl who had connections to his past. A past he couldn't remember but was obviously going to be a big factor if the same girl from his forgotten past had found him.

Just as Hei was about to speak a bitter sweet voice whispered in his ear. _**"Try and be human, for me."**_

" _Damn it Yin."_ Sighing he planted his feet firmly on the ground. The sudden stop made the short multi colored girl give a silent yelp as she almost tripped herself. The short girl gave an annoyed huff and snarled at Hei jabbing a finger at the door and glaring at him.

He looked over at the door and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

A memory from just a couple hours ago resurfaced.

~ Schnee Appeal W&W ~

"Impressive."

Hei looked over his shoulder his eyes widening slightly in curiosity as he turned around. "What exactly, if you don't mind me asking, was so impressive?"

The man Hei had turned around to face was smirking while looking at him over a pair of circle glasses. He had Wild mint green hair and wore something similar to what Hei himself would wear in a more casual situation, with the addition of glasses and a thermos.

"I don't mind you asking at all sir." He took a sip from his thermos and pushed his glasses up starting another sentence all in the span of two seconds. "But I do believe introductions are in order first. I am a stickler for etiquette."

The man proffered his right hand taking Hei's and shaking it rather than waiting for a response. "I am Doctor Oobleck. I didn't go to school for nothing you know so if you wish to refer to me in the formal Dr. Will suffice."

Hei's head swam with the sudden influx of information and rambling his brain just endured in the last five seconds. His lack of food and sleep was really getting to him. He squeezed the Dr.'s hand firmly trying to form a response.

"Oobleck? Like that green goo they use in elementary school to teach kids about viscosity?" Was Hei's smart reply.

Dr. Oobleck grinned and nodded. "The very same. My family have been in academia for generations. I see you paid attention during your studies as a youth."

Hei eyed the man with a bemused look before nodding. "Honor student. Would have been valedictorian if I hadn't joined…" He had to think quick. "The military to keep an eye on my sister."

Oobleck nodded letting go of Hei's hand. "Entirely understandable. Family is very important." Then the mint haired man grew silent looking off into the distance.

Hei nodded slowly wondering why this man had introduced himself. "So Dr. What exactly was so impressive?"

Oobleck stirred as if he'd been pulled from a very invested daydream or immersive memory. "Ah. Yes. Well do you know that young lady by any chance? Ms Adel."

Hei shook his head. "No. Why?"

The man chuckled. "Well you see. I do. I am a professor of hers." He took another sip from his thermos. "Tell me. What exactly was your goal when you initiated that conversation?"

Hei narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if he should answer truthfully or not. Eventually he relaxed. "I was trying to get her to do my shopping for me. She works here and she looked like she was dying to…" He looked down at himself. "…Fix my image. I figured she'd find something well priced and functional."

Oobleck laughed. "You want a discount don't you?"

Hei closed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes."

Oobleck patted Hei on the shoulder smiling. "Well I'll tell you this. Young Ms. Adel loves her job. I'm afraid you won't get a discount unless you truly impress her."

Hei dropped his hand looking at the other man. "Although I've never seen nor heard of her shopping for anyone but herself and maybe a friend to improve her teams image. That alone is impressive. I'm surprised you could read her so well and take advantage of her personality."

Hei rose an eyebrow waiting for the but.

"But."

There it was.

"I must ask. Was part of your military training in manipulation and subterfuge?"

And the conversation just got uncomfortable. Hei could tell the man was well meaning and probably just looking out for his student but he was digging for information and it wasn't apparent why.

"If it was?"

Oobleck stepped back taking yet another sip from his mug before sighing and holding his thermos upside down, not a single drop falling. "Ah well. All good things must come to an end." He clipped the thermos to his belt pushing his glasses up again before placing his hands behind the small of his back standing feet shoulder width apart as he fixed Hei with an expressionless face that betrayed no intentions.

"Then I would say there has been no war that required the drafting of minors for over 20 years. Try again."

Hei narrowed his eyes looking away before letting out a breath and looking back. It always was his type that saw through everything. Hyperactive and serious to a fault. Detectives that Huang liked to call busybodies.

"I taught myself. I had to. It was do or die."

Oobleck smiled in appreciation at the honesty. "And I suppose you were never in the military?"

Hei just watched the man quietly. "Child soldier. By choice."

"To follow your sister I presume?"

"Bai was her name."

Oobleck's smile fell. "My condolences."

"No need. I killed her."

Oobleck looked down sighing. "I see. Then you did the right thing."

Hei grit his teeth. He wanted to punch this man. To make him hurt. But it wouldn't change anything. He clenched his right hand electricity sparking around it. Memories of holding his sisters throat while he told her how much she disgusted him. How he despised her for all the death she caused. Oh what a hypocrite he'd become.

"No. She did. And she left me with the burden."

Oobleck watched Hei with an interested and confused gaze before pulling out a business card and offering it. "For such a young man to be so well put together after a life like that you show a surprising amount of intelligence and mental fortitude.

Hei Laughed darkly, a somber look coming over his face as he took the card before hanging his head. "Let me let you in on a little secret."

Oobleck look at the young man in front of him frowning softly.

"Life doesn't care about streaks. It does not care if you _want_ to win. If you _need_ to win."

Hei clenched his fists before relaxing letting out a defeated sigh, his body loosing all its energy.

"At the end of the day… life is simply unfair."

Oobleck put a hand on Hei's shoulder. Memories of screams and a dark cave flashing through his mind as he watched the young man.

Hei narrowed his eyes as he looked at the ground. "Nothing hits as hard as life." His time as a worthless drunk. Hiding under bridges. Smoking the days away. Lashing out at people he didn't know just for being there. He looked up and Oobleck almost gasped at what he saw in the young mans eyes.

Memories of friends flashed through Hei's mind.

Suou, **"What the hell's wrong with you, get a hold of yourself."**

Amber, **"You know. You're acting like a spoiled child again. Do you want to lay on my lap?"**

Yin, **"It'll be okay Hei."**

Bai, **"You were always so strong for me."**

Misaki, **"You're kinda crazy, but you never give up do you."**

July, **"Thank you."**

Mao, **"A man can only be beaten in two ways. He gives up, or he dies."**

Huang, **"Hei. That's a piss poor attitude."**

"But let me tell you this. The only disability in life… is a bad attitude. A positive attitude is the most powerful combatant to life's misfortunes."

His last moments on earth, holding Suou. The sacrifice he made.

"A lesson without pain is meaningless. That's because no one can gain without sacrificing something. But by enduring that pain and overcoming it… You just might get something out of all of it."

Oobleck was stunned by Hei's words. They weren't words one as young as him should typically know. He closed his mouth and took a deep breath before bowing. "Give that number a call within the next two weeks and I believe you'll be surprised where that state of mind can lead you."

Hei looked down at the crumpled card in his hand. It was white, a tower was in the background with a beacon fire. On the back a phone number.

~ present ~

He Watched the door and saw the blonde boy from before exit. He had a manila envelope but the look on his face said whatever it was cost more than money. Looking back at Neo he made his decision. _"Be human."_

Neo looked up at Hei expectantly but was shocked when he stepped back. "Sorry but I'm not interested. There's someone I've kept waiting long enough. I'm sure she's pissed at me." And with that he turned on his heel leaving behind a dumbstruck Neo.

Hei's head was swimming with everything from no sleep for about four days and no food for just as long. The information overload from all the epiphanies and having to still find out where to go from here didn't help at all. But after turning away from that girl… He felt a lot lighter.

~ 0 ~

Neo couldn't believe it. That son of a bitch just walked away from her. Her! And for some stupid blonde bimbo. The girl was barely legal.

She tightened her grip on her parasol fingering the latch to the blade.

Oh he has no idea who he's messing with.

~ Junior ~

Juniors eyes kept moving from the blonde chick to the psycho chick. In the distance. He thought he'd shit a brick when that waitress from earlier pointed out the scene to the blonde. Junior Shuddered thankful the girl had just gotten up and decided to leave. "Hey Melanie, Milti go fire that waitress."

A pair of twins looked up, one scoffing while the other rolled her eyes. They were both wearing similar clothes, stylish combat dresses in a club style, but where one wore white and feathery clothes with long hair that reached her generous rump. The other wore red and fur, her hair cut short around her chin accentuating her much larger bust.

The twins, in mirror reflections of each other, ran their fingers through their hair tossing it back while tilting their shoulders and cocking their heads leaning forward giving Junior seductive smiles.

Junior leaned forward expectantly.

In a fraction of a second their expressions became imperious and they shouted at him unison. "We're security not your fucking lackeys!"

Junior jumped back tripping over his own feet as his back slammed into the bar behind him almost making him drop the glass he was cleaning. He put the glass down and puffed up his chest. "I'll have you know I'm the one who pays you. Your my extra muscle and you'll do what I say."

He deflated immediately at the looks they gave him while complaining through clenched teeth. "Bitches, just like your mother."

The twins looked at each other with the same disinterested bored look. "Grow up Junior." Melanie said shrugging and then sipping her gray goose martini.

"Yeah, you're just mad you're not our daddy and you still can't tell us no." Miltia shrugged while popping an olive in to her mouth savoring the bitter taste with a shiver.

Junior spluttered unable to form a coherent sentence for a full ten seconds. He finally gave up and threw his arms up before crossing them defensively in front of his chest. "Shut up." He gave them both a sideways glance. "Your moms so full of shit too, I could be your daddy I just don't like to pay bitches for shit so the pretty boy got the bill.

Miltia almost choked on her olive coughing violently into her hand while trying to maintain an attractive appearance. Melanie on the other hand threw her drink in Juniors face. "That's cause your just like the drinks you sell flat, cheap and useless."

Junior stood there a frown on his face as he wiped the remains of the martini from his mug. "Real mature Melanie, just like your mom."

Her lips drew together in a sultry smirk. "I learned from the best. I mean she did teach me how to handle your sorry ass." She leaned over the bar and wiped some of her well used drink from his vest using his own pocket handkerchief a coy smile playing across her face.

Junior sighed and let his head drop. "Fine you win. Just _handle_ the blonde till she actually leaves." Melanie looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Should be easy enough. Here she comes now."

Junior flinched looking over Melanie's shoulder. Sweat started to visibly pour down his forehead. "Just do you job alright." Melanie patted his cheek and slowly trailed her hand down his arm as she sat down,

"You bet Mr. Pork-chop, after all whatever would I do without my piggy bank." She ended with a wink and a predatory smile aimed at the pocket where his wallet sat. Then she looked up into his face and licked her lips, smiling.

"Also, I'm one of those _bitches_ you don't like to pay so my." She looked at her sister who was watching with no small amount of mirth. "No. Our rates." She pointed between her and her sister. "Just doubled for the night." Junior whimpered.

"Oh and one more thing." She grabbed another drink that was sitting behind the bar taking a sip. "Our drinks are free tonight." He nodded dreading tonight's security bill. Oh one could definitely say he'd fucked up.

Miltia chuckled watching the exchange between her sister and their boss. Her lips forming an amused smirk, her eyes showing clear amused satisfaction with the recent events. She gave a low slow whistle having fun showing how impressed she was with her sister as her twin sat back down.

"Melanie, Melanie, Melanie. That was impressive." Miltia purred in a sultry voice stroking her sister's ego. You make it look so easy. Melanie looked over at Miltia and gave a playful smile.

"Make what look easy?" She said in a honeyed voice.

Miltia's jaw dropped and pointed at Junior. Before she could say anything Melanie Placed a slender well manicured finger against her twins lips.

"Shhh."

Miltia shuddered making a mental note not to piss off Melanie ever again. Just then a pair of hands slammed down on the bar on the opposite side of Miltiades making the already nervous girl jump.

The three turned seeing the blonde bombshell lean over the counter and grab Junior's tie pulling him down to eye level. "Hey big boy. Happy to see me again?" Yang asked coyly with a Cheshire grin.

Junior resisted the urge to flinch and smiled the fakest smile anyone had ever seen. His nerves were frazzled enough from everything that had happened in the last few hours. He really didn't need this.

Yang's eyes had a fire in them that scared Junior, he'd seen that exact same look on a young woman about 17 years ago when he'd first started his business. He sighed. This was gonna lead to serious trouble he could feel it. He had a sneaking suspicion his club was gonna be destroyed just like back then. Back when everything started.

That night that girl and her shadow tore apart his club before the building had been remodeled after he bought it.

He chuckled darkly to himself. She had spared him the cost of a demolition crew. "So, how can I help you Goldilocks?"

" _Maybe it's time for a remodel. I always did think that a line of booths would look better than tables around the dance floor."_

~ 0 ~

And done. Wow that was quite a bit longer than I expected. Hmm. Well it was mostly a rewrite with more events added in so I don't think it called for a separate chapter. But let me know yall guys' thoughts. Next order of business the rewrite of "To be or not to be".

Hope to see you guys again.

P.S. … smile


	5. Chapter 5

The Dying Light of a Borrowed Star

I do not own DTB or RWBY

~ 0 ~

Quick note. The first four chapters have been edited and slightly rewritten. Much better in my opinion. Thank you for reading.

~ 0 ~

" _thoughts"_

"Speech"

 _words with implied meaning_

Regular text

 **"Disembodied voice"**

 **"** _ **Memories"**_

~ Ch 5 ~

~ Winding down ~

Neo grit her teeth looking at Hei's back fingering the trigger on her parasol. Lifting her arms she prepared to draw the thin blade when a hand rested on her shoulder and she flinched turning to glare at whoever the sorry fucker touched her was.

"Now love, please put that away."

Her eye's widened and she let go of her parasols handle as her mismatched colored eyes met a pair of warm yet piercing icy blues. She stumbled back a step but a firm hand in a white glove gripped her shoulder holding her in place as she looked up at the snowy, flawless statuesque face of a woman.

She was wearing a fancy white dress made of silk that went down to her ankles. Her shoulders were covered by a pale sky blue shawl that was pinned together in the front by a magnificent red broach. A sharp silky white cat ear poked out Atop her long wavy flowing silvery hair lifting up the side of an exquisite lilac floppy hat with an ice blue ribbon holding three snowy white feathers in place. On her petite feet she had three inch single strap close toed high heels that were the same color as her dress.

Neo tried to move away but the woman's grip tightened and her smile grew ever so slightly. "Tell me Ms. A La Mode. Were you about to harm our guest?"

Neo gulped.

~ 0 ~

Hei was about halfway to the bar where Yang was talking to or more so yelling at the bartender when a tall man with sun kissed skin in a snow white suit stepped in front of him. He stopped suddenly taking in the mans presence as he was offered a small smile with the tilt of his head while taking off the matching top hat he wore while grabbing the cane he held placing it behind his back before presenting himself with a slight bow.

The rest of his ensemble comprised of fancy brown dress shoes, an emerald green vest made of velvet, a clean white button up shirt with the collar held up by a deep red bow-tie patterned by yellow polka dots and white gloves.

Now that the man had taken his hat off Hei could see that he had windswept blond almost flaxen hair with yellow cat ears atop his head.

He thought back to the girl Blake on the train and how her bow moved as well as the horns he'd seen on the boy Adam's head that he'd assumed were part of the mask. Those traits were probably what made them Faunus. He really had to hit up that library soon.

"Excuse me Mr. Shengshun, Hello."

Hei blinked his posture becoming stiff. Who was this man and how did he know his alias? Looking into the blond's eyes they both stood up straighter when the man gave him a genuine look of apology.

"Pleas pardon my rude manners. I forget that many of the lady's acquaintances aren't informed of us when first we meet. This must seem rather suspect. Ehem." He cleared his throat putting his hat under his arm before offering his now free hand. "My name is Baron Humbert von Gikkingen." He nodded with a small charming smile. "At your service."

Hei warily took his hand and gave it two firm shakes. "Li. Li Shengshun. But you already knew that apparently." The man known as Baron nodded with a soft, pleased closed eyed expression before placing his hat back on his head as his ears twitched.

"Well now that we are introduced that leaves these two lovely women." He said gesturing behind Hei. They both turned to face Neo and a tall pale woman guiding her towards them.

Baron nodded at the two of them. "Mr. Shunsheng the lady with multi colored hair I believe you have already met. I do hope it was pleasant but knowing her perhaps that is hoping for to much." He looked at the girl from earlier and made a noncommittal sound.

Baron fixed his bow-tie and gestured to Neo. Her name, Neopolitan A La Mode. The stunning beauty to her right is none other than my wife. Baroness Juliet von Gikkingen." The Baron gave a deep bow to his wife taking her right hand and caressing it as he gave her a kiss on the top of her hand.

The woman named Juliet flushed with a soft sigh. "Oh stop it Baron, You flatter me to much." The Baroness giggled as she turned to Hei giving him a light curtsy and a head nod. "Mr. Shengshun. It is a pleasure to meet you. We've heard much about you and I do hope you do not take offense to our knowing. In time we can become well acquainted."

~ 0 ~

Hei Blinked in confusion trying to make sense of everything. The lack of sleep definitely wasn't helping him paint anything more detailed than what one would consider a preschoolers hand painting. To top it off this definitely dashed his hopes of a clean slate if people already knew who he was.

Heaving a mental sigh he offered his right hand to the woman for a handshake as well having resigned himself to the sad fact he was looking at a longer night than expected. "Er. Hey." He said sluggishly.

The Baroness smiled taking his hand and the two looked into eachothers eyes as they shook hands. She tilted her head and smirked at him before glancing to the side with a warm yet somehow menacing stare as her eyes fell on Neopolitan.

"Now Ms. A La Mode I do believe introductions are in order. Proper, this time."

Neo glanced at the woman with a bit of fear and then to Hei who was looking at her suspiciously. Giving a quiet huff she stepped up to Hei and offered her hand but she winced when the Baroness' hand tightened on her shoulder.

Hei caught the small actions lifting an eyebrow slightly in intrigue.

This time Neo forced a smile through her grimace and curtsied towards Hei before she offered her hand. He took it with a questioning glance at the Baron and Baroness before focusing on Neo again.

"That's better darling. Elegant, punctual, graceful. Now was that so difficult?" The Baroness let go of Neo's shoulder placing her hands in front of her with a genuine smile.

Neo clenched her jaw resisting the urge to grind her teeth. The last time she had this woman gave her a ten minute lecture and took her to the dentist. The bitch had said she ate to many sweets, that she didn't brush enough. That she only had good teeth because she drank a lot of alcohol which killed germs.

Not only that but this woman had threatened her on more than a few occasions. Never maliciously though. It was like having a private tutor or a nanny. It was scary as hell how her and her husband showed up out of nowhere sometimes too.

She shivered and looked back at The man she was supposed to be getting to meet Roman and closed her eyes in annoyance. She changed her mind. If he was gonna come with these two and have their employer watching him he was not worth the effort or time it would take to get anything she wanted from him.

She sighed and rubbed her temples relaxing her back when she heard a quiet feminine clearing of the throat. She straightened her posture and stepped back trying to distance herself from the crazy Baroness.

~ 0 ~

Baron watched the exchanged between his wife and Neo with an amused look before shaking his head. "Come dear." He said placing a hand on her arm rubbing gently with a small laugh. "Go easy on the young lady. She isn't into the same things we are nor does her life ask or require it of her. I think some leniency is allowed. Don't you, Mr. Shengshun?"

Hei looked at the three with a calm expression. Baron just stood there smiling after putting him on the spot like that. The Baroness looked at him expectantly while Neo gave him a pleading look with her eyes. He really didn't wanna deal with this right now.

He could barely string thoughts together anymore at this point and he was getting a headache from lack of eating for so long. Reaching up to rub his forehead he sighed. "Sorry I'm barely following. I haven't slept or eaten for four days and it' really catching up to me right now. I think we should all relax and just cut to the chase so I can get on with my night, please."

Baron's eyes widened hearing this and he cleared his throat. "My apologies, yes. We need you to get in contact with our lady, here." He handed Hei a business card exactly like the one he'd gotten from that man at Schnee Appeal. Oobleck was his name if he recalled correctly.

While he took the card the Baroness bowed low apologizing for taking up his time like they had and grabbed Neo's shoulder again. "Our apologies Mr. Shunsheng, we'll be on our way. Please enjoy the remainder of your evening. I do hope you are able to eat something and find a good place to rest. Come Ms. A La Mode we have a meeting with your guardian.

Neo tried to slip away but the woman's grip was strong and she got dragged off quite literally through the crowed towards the door at the back of the club.

Heaving a sigh of relief he slipped the business card into his pocket. Now with that out of the way he officially came to the conclusion that Yang had chosen the worst place to come eat. He was gonna have to find her so they could get out of there and find a real restaurant. Now where was she?

*BOOM*

"Ahhhhh"

"What the hell!"

"Holy shit she on fire!"

"Run!"

~ 0 ~

Turning around with a deadpan expression on his face he saw the bar or what was left of it burning with a blond bombshell standing in front of the split remains with righteous fury in her eyes.

Hei winced facepalming. "Can't I catch one break. That's all I ask. It's like I have a bad luck charm or a curse."

~ 0 ~

Qrow grumbled as he walked down the dirt road he'd been trekking since the rain that passed earlier put out his fire. He kicked a rock off the road and it hit a tree bouncing right back at him heading straight for his head. He dodged but hit a sludgy patch of road and slipped down the hill rolling quite a ways until he hit something hard with a resounding crash.

"FUCK!" He yelled rubbing his head. "I swear to Oum I'm gonna wring Oz's neck when I."

*Clink*

Looking down Qrow's eyes widened in disbelief as he registered what was making the clinking sound. There sitting all around him were the remains of a carriage and what looked to be an entire case of booze.

"No. No fucking way."

~ 0 ~

Junior was sweating bullets. He couldn't believe that Goldilocks just blew up like that, and quite literally. One second he was telling her what little he actually knew about Hei, or Li when her eyes went wide and she'd gone eerily silent.

The cracked glass in her hand had been his cue to get the fuck outta dodge but then the twins also went still with sickly sweet smiles spreading across their faces at exactly the same time. He'd taken a single step back when the glass in the blonds hand shattered.

"Oh shit." He trailed off as the girls hair ignited. He jumped down behind the bar just as the explosion happened shattering the glass cases above him, shards of glass and alcohol falling all around him.

He heard the familiar yell of rage from Melanie and Milti as the bar right next to him cracked making him gasp just as a hole was made in the bar with a guys head sticking through it. "Stop breaking holes in my bar!"

~ 0 ~

Yang had been listening to Junior's information on Li which was surprisingly more than what she thought he'd have on someone who'd never been to Vale before but less than she liked. That's when she felt it. That familiar yet sickening feeling of a large hand gripping her ass.

Her grip tightened on the glass she was holding making it crack. _"No. Hell no!"_ She could feel the blind rage building and she felt hot. Her hair was definitely on fire now. The glass in her hands shattered and she turned around to see the smug face of a tall dark haired man in a suit.

"Hey babe."

"RAGHHHHH!"

The concussive force from Her semblance activating pushing the guy back a step while it shattered the cases holding the alcohol and the bar caught fire.

To the sides of the man were three other guys wearing the same suits in the same color. To her right the twins who'd been sitting at the bar with her stood up with the most dangerous smiles she'd ever seen on another girl around her age.

The girl in white moved faster than she thought she could counter from a stand still and kicked at the head of the man closest to her just missing as he dodged to the side but her leg snapped back wrapping around his head and she spun dragging him to the floor cracking his head against the bar making it split with the force.

The man groaned and she slammed her heel into the back of his head making a head shaped hole in the bar.

"Stop breaking holes in my bar!"

~ 0 ~

Melanie was so done with self entitled pricks coping feels when she was having a drink. Hell this time she was even working! She and Miltia had been here as 'moral support' for Junior while he was dealing with the blond jail bait. Then some jack ass came up behind her and groped her ass. And not just a quick feel or squeeze either. The fucker had gotten a firm hold and played with her butt for a good five seconds before giving her a firm pat.

Like hell she was gonna take that kinda bullshit! She didn't even need to look she could tell from the way her sister had stiffened up as well that something similar had just happened to her.

All at once the blond girl next to them shattered her glass as they put theirs down and she exploded in a wave of flame as she Miltia and herself all turned around to face the sorry mother fuckers who touched them all.

There were four of them dressed in suits that were very familiar to her and Miltia. They were members of their rival gang here in Vale that was trying to fight them for the spot in the Mafia that had opened after Junior killed his dad.

The skinny one closest to her had a punk haircut dyed a deep blood red and he had this disgusting smirk on his face and… _"Did he just smell his hand?"_ Melanie resisted the urge to gag and swung her leg out aiming right next to his head. He actually dodged to the side a bit falling right into place as her leg wrapped around his head. She spun pulling him off balance and onto the floor cracking his head into the bar splitting it apart.

He let out a groan and she glared at the back of his stupid head kicking it through the bar earning a shout from Junior. "So." She huffed tossing her hair over her shoulder as she turned to face the other three men as the crowd around them screamed and ran for the exits after seeing the blond practically blow up. "What the fuck do you want."

~ 0 ~

Junior was looking right at the face of the man who's head had been slammed through the bar and almost shuddered. He got to his hands and knees before slowly peaking out from behind his makeshift safe haven, the bar. He hated fighting. He'd hated it at Beacon, he hated it when he killed his dad and he hated it now.

He wasn't without power or skill but he definitely wasn't a fighter. Hell he wasn't even a lover he just didn't like trouble. That's why he'd started his business. Music, dancing food on the cheep if a little inflated. His information brokering as an underground thing along with being a contact and a supplier of muscle. It payed well and nobody tried to fuck with you because you were useful to everyone. Hell he even had politicians coming to him regularly. The get out of jail free card and the full pardon sitting in his safe for rainy day's were proof it payed well.

He eyed the suits the three guys still standing wore and noticed the pins with the skull motifs on them pinned to their collars. "Fuck." Then this other gang had to show up and start muscling in on his turf. They weren't bad per say but they were growing fast and that meant recruiting anyone with promise which meant lots of idiots who overstepped boundaries were gonna come and go.

This was the third time this month a group of them had come in trying to start shit. It looked like they were pretty stupid too to be messing with the twins. He glanced at the blond who'd been stealing info from him for the past hour and let out a low whistle. "Definitely her mothers daughter." The aura she gave off was murderous.

~ 0 ~

Hey ladies no need to be so rough. We haven't even gotten to the good part yet."

"Screw you!" Yang shouted.

"Yes please." The tall guy in front of Yang said in what he must have thought was a slick tone and a charming grin that just came off as all kinds of creepy. It made her shiver and feel disgusted that he'd touched her. He was a prime example of why she hated most men.

She tightened her fists and glared at him. "What do you want?"

She herd three other voices chorus with her. Looking to the side she saw the bartender standing with a much firmer look than before as well as the twins dressed in red and white staring down the remaining three guys.

Looking back forward she tensed when the three started laughing. "Come on now Junior. You know what were here for. Your protection money."

" _Protection money?"_ Yang glanced at the bartender who folded his arms with a scowl.

"fuck off. I ain't payin shit. You don't own me or these streets for that matter. Get the hell out of my club, you already cost me my customers for the night and a new bar."

Now this situation definitely seemed off. Protection money? Owning something like the street? Were these guys from a gang? A grin spread across her face and she slammed her fists together Ember celica engaging around her wrists as she took a stance blowing a strand of hair out of her face with a grin.

"Sounds to me like you're a bunch of bad guys which means." Her voice turned dark and she narrowed her eyes as the crimson glow in the once lilac orbs grew brighter. "I don't have to feel bad about beating the shit outta you."

Melanie let out a smug laugh and took up a stance next to Yang flipping her hair. "Well it'll be nice to have back up that doesn't suck for a change. Isn't that right boss man." She called over she shoulder.

The bar tender pulled out some shades and put them on while reaching down, his hand wrapping around a familiar handle before lifting a giant metal club over his shoulder. He cracked his neck and grunted while Miltia brought her arms up claws extended. "They're outnumbered too. I like these odds a lot." She said with a sadistic smirk.

The three guys still standing looked at the four of them with varying looks of displeasure. The tall guy who seemed to be the leader with the looks of deference he got from the other two glared at them. "You really think we came alone?" He pulled up a scroll that had a call already connected on it. "Get in here now! We're taking this place tonight."

~ 0 ~

Hei was making his way towards the bar as the crowd around him pushed and scrambled for the exits. He saw another group of men rush in through the large glass doors holding a wide variety of weapons, mainly hatchets and katanas. He had to wonder was this place Japan or something it was ridiculous. Just then the door at the back of the club opened and a large group of guys wearing the same clothes as the usher came out with similar weapons.

A gloved hand grabbed his shoulder and he looked to his side to see a man in a fine black pinstripe suit sitting at a table looking up at him. The table was stacked with food and a couple of bottles of fruity looking drinks.

"Please sit." the man asked with a calm tone. He gestured to the seat adjacent to him. Looking at it he noticed he'd be able to see what happened from here. He took in the mans suit and noted it was a finer design of the ones the men who rushed the door wore with a skull motif clip on the collar.

So this guy was the leader or boss and he was here to observe. Walking around he pulled the seat out and sat down with a tired sigh.

"Lack of sleep?" The man asked. Hei nodded with a yawn "My apologies for my men ruining your night then. If it's any consolation you can have anything you want from this table." The man offered with a wave of his hand.

Hei looked at the table with a look of interest. Steak, baked potatoes, tomatoes, spinach salads, soup, garlic and cheese breads, fish and chips and so much more. This man had bought seemingly one of everything on the menu. He eyed the table hungrily his mouth starting to water as a childlike wonder filled his eyes. His stomach growled and he looked at the man. "Anything?"

The man lifted an eyebrow at his tone and smiled humorously. "On the condition that you let your girlfriend and the staff here fend for themselves." A stormy look came over the older mans features as he looked over to the now smoldering bar. His eyes narrowed as they met the back of a tall man with dark hair. "Idiot. I told him to stop messing with this club and to leave Junior alone. Information brokers are neutral and we don't need bad publicity."

The man looked at Hei seeming to have aged a few years as he let out a tired sigh. "If he manages to pull this off 'll forgive him but in the likely event he cannot I will deal with him personally. This is more or less a test he is likely to fail, even more so seeing as your female friend is a huntress in training."

Hei was already shoving food down his throat but he was listening intently and gave the man a nod. He wasn't to inclined to get involved where unnecessary and if food was being used as an incentive to keep to that path then who was he to say no.

The man chuckled and relaxed back into his seat lifting a glass of clear alcohol to his lips taking a swig. A man went flying by them crashing into the table off to the side with a groan.

Hei looked over and shrugged as he fit a whole slice of fried fish into his mouth. "So what brings you to this fine establishment?" the man asked him.

Swallowing the fish Hei wiped his mouth and pointed at Yang who just punched a guy into the air then sent him rocketing away while kicking another guy in the face before dropping to the ground to punch another guy in the gut. The man chuckled and wiped a mirthful tear from his eyes. "They do tend to get the better of us."

Hei lifted an eyebrow in question. "Lupin." The man said holding his hand out. "And I mean young people. Kids for lack of a better word. She roped you into this somehow did she not?"

Hei sighed while shaking the mans hand. They both scooted back away from the table Hei grabbing a plate while Lupin grabbed his drink just before a man crashed down onto it breaking it in half spilling everything onto the floor.

"Don't touch me you piece of shit!" The girl in white shouted from by the bar.

Hei smirked as he put a forkful of pasta in his mouth while Lupin laughed. "They certainly are quite rowdy and particular of personal space."

"I can understand. Never much cared for close proximity to others either."

Lupin looked at Hei and nodded. "Well it looks like they're wrapping up. I should go set my men straight. Enjoy the rest of your evening Mr. Shengshun."

Hei paused and watched the man leave. He'd never actually told him his name.

~ 0 ~

"That all you got you limp dick mother fucker!" Miltia said slashing a guy across the face with the fury of a wild bear. He'd grabbed her dress pulling it down almost making her breasts spill out just to get her off guard while trying to catch a peek.

Melanie kicked the guy with a sneer on her face while he was down. "Don't ever put your fuckin hands on my sister again you jackass."

Miltia kicked him in the crotch for good measure. "Hope you saw something you liked because you ain't gonna be able to use that again."

Junior winced while holding a guy up by his jacket before punching and knocking the poor sod out before letting his body fall to the floor with a wince as he covered his own jewels. "Hey girls I think he's out already, you don't need."

He went quiet at the imperious looks the girls sent him. He could feel his balls throbbing in pain just from seeing the final kick Melanie gave the guy making his body lift off the ground a bit. "Never mind."

The twins went back to find the other guys who'd groped their butts earlier among the downed bodies. Melanie huffed finding the creep that had groped her earlier trying to crawl away to the exit and stepped on his back. "And where do you think your going princess?"

"Please no."

"But I'm not doing anything to you." She grinned evilly. "Does that mean you want me to do something? Oh what a masochist."

"Huh? Wait what no!"

She jammed her heel into his tail bone earning herself a sick cracking noise as the guy let out a scream before she hopped on her other foot and kicked at his face snapping his head back knocking him out.

She shook her legs out and sighed looking over to Miltia who'd found the guy who'd groped her. She had his head in her hands claws extended digging into his head. "You know you don't look half bad."

They guy was sweating bullets and he whimpered as her sultry smiled became a vicious snarl. She grabbed his long hair and swiped her claws through it hacking his hair into mismatched bits while pulling as much out as she could. Then she slashed his face before stomping on his stomach.

He curled in on himself and she kicked him in the crotch for good measure making him sing soprano. "Don't fuck with our club or it'll be worse next time." She huffed walking over to her sister with a smile while dusting her hands off.

"Hey Mel. Wheres that blond chick?"

*whap* They both turned to see Yang on one knee punching a man who was on the ground repeatedly. He was covering his face but it didn't matter because she was pummeling his gut. He groaned and coughed up blood every few hit and a few punches later Yang stopped. Standing up she wiped her brow and huffed. "Stop being such a big baby that wasn't even as bad as the training fights at Signal. Anyways you all had aura surprisingly. So stop being such a limp noodle."

"Fu." The guy paused at the looks of the three young women looking down at him.

"Care to finish that?" Miltia asked.

"Yeah. I'm dying to know what you were gonna say." Melanie tacked on.

Yang cracked her knuckles narrowing her eyes.

"Grrrr. Fu!"

"That's enough Micheal."

~ 0 ~

Everyone stopped and turned to look at who had spoken. It was an older looking man in a fancy suit with the same pin on the collar the other guys had worn. He walked right past them and stopped near the downed guy.

"What? You want some too grandpa?" Miltia said haughtily.

Melanie was about to say something too when Junior stepped between them putting his hands on their shoulders. "Evening Lupin."

"Junior." He said with a nod of his head. "My apologies for this… unfortunate turn of events." He looked down at the man at his feet with a glare before reaching into his coat pulling out a small thick white envelope. "This should cover the damages." He turned to leave with a wave over his shoulder. "Have a good evening. This won't happen again."

The man on the floor, Micheal, Rolled over. "But boss!"

The man stopped and glared at Micheal over his shoulder with a death stare. "Do not be familiar with me boy. You and your men are a disappointment. If I ever see you again I will make you sorry. Now take off that suit and never let any of the Crown's guard ever catch you wearing our symbol or boasting. If you do we will make your life a living hell. You are a stain upon our organization and we will not tolerate you. You're lucky you weren't officially initiated or your life would be forfeit."

With that the older man left followed by whoever could get up as they dragged themselves out. Micheal clenched his teeth and ripped the clip on his collar throwing it away as he dragged himself to his feet stumbling for the exit.

~ 0 ~

Yang watched everything with mixed feelings and then looked at the twins. "We're just gonna let em go?"

Miltia looked over at Junior who just walked off and shrugged. "Yeah I guess."

Melanie folded her arms and nodded. "Better than getting the police involved, beside he just paid us for damages so it's just water off our backs. We did get back at those perverts to boot so eh fuck it."

Yang looked at them with a confused expression. "But they're criminals." Melanie and Miltia looked at eachother before laughing uproariously. "Whats so funny?" Yang asked as she stomped her foot feeling her cheeks heat up.

Miltia covered her mouth trying to calm down. "Girl if you knew."

Melanie shook her head wiping a tear away with a sigh while elbowing her twin. "Says the underage girl at an adults only nightclub."

Yang's cheeks burned even more and she looked down at her feet feeling awkward. "I'm almost eighteen."

The twins took deep breaths trying to stifle their laughs while using eachother for support. "Don't worry we won't tell. Anyways thanks for the help blonde. You fight pretty well." Melanie said.

"You a huntress in training?" Miltia asked curiously.

~ 0 ~

The three carried on their conversation while Junior stood back in the distance and pulled out his scroll calling up Roman. The call connected after the first ring. "Hello."

"Roman. What the fuck is going on?"

There was silence over the line for a few seconds. " _She_ decided a change of plans was in order. Neither of us were necessary tonight. Apparently you and I did good though because I just checked my accounts and I got quite a generous deposit."

Junior looked at the large envelop in his hands and frowned. "Torch… I think we got played."

"Same. _She's_ never tried anything that would screw us over though. The plan never survives first contact and all that. The less people know the real plan the better crap. So, whatever. We got paid and we're no worse for wear."

Junior grit his teeth. "Speak for yourself." He sighed rubbing his temples before opening the envelope to count the money. "My club is a wreck. The payment will cover damages and losses but damn it."

Roman chuckled on the other line and sighed tiredly. "Yeah well I had to deal with the Baron and the Baroness. My nights still not over yet. I have a VIP waiting to be picked up and it's gonna be over more than a couple hours by car."

Junior winced looking at his watch which read about 3:00 am. "Unlucky bastard. Well. Good luck. I need to get a hold of my lawyer and my insurance company."

Roman burst out laughing. "Well then good luck to you too buddy. You actually need." Then the line went dead and Junior put his scroll away while shaking his head. He turned to see the twins exchanging contact info with the blond and rolled his eyes as he pulled out a towel and moved to start wiping down the bar before sighing and dropping it as he headed for the door to the second floor offices.

~ 0 ~

"Yup that's my number and the names Yang Xiao Long, don't you forget it." Yang said bumping her chest as the twins put their scrolls away now with one more contact.

"We won't."

"Trust us."

The twins tilted their heads and grinned. Melanie looked over Yang's shoulder and licked her lips. "So who's the guy in the suit?"

Miltia looked where her sister was looking and her eye's widened slightly in appreciation of the figure standing there.

"Huh?" Yang turned around to see Hei standing there hand on his hip wearing a calm expression. Her stomach dropped. It was strange how just an hour ago she would've been glad to see him but.

"Hey Yang." He said in that warm tone. "Nice work. Pretty bad ass if you ask me."

" _Huh?"_ What was he talking about? Then it hit her. "You jerk!" She shouted making his eyes widen.

"whoa, Yang hold up." He held his hands up but she went low punching him in the gut making him gasp and fall to his knees. "wha what was that for?" He winced standing back up.

She punched his shoulder with a frown giving him a harsh glare. "What do you mean, don't act like you don't know!"

Miltia and Melanie glanced at each other and then looked at the two while slowly stepping away from them before turning around and heading off.

~ 0 ~

"Wonder what that's about" Miltia said aloud looking back at the blond girl who was currently punching the tall guy in the suit they'd seen walk up after everything. Then her gaze fixed on the tall guy and she smirked. "It looks like she knows him."

Melanie sighed putting a hand on her sisters shoulder. "No. No you don't Mil. Besides attraction is a very weird thing. Sexual attraction is simple. That." She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. "I have no idea what that is because it's not sexual in the slightest. At leas not in the way we're used to."

Miltia tilted her head in confusion. "Huh?"

"As for knowing him. I'm pretty sure I saw the two of them come in together. She ditched him though and I think he went after another girl."

Miltia opened her mouth in an oh motion nodding in understanding. "Yeah lets not get involved. But hey if they split dibs."

Melanie gave her sister a questioning look. "Huh?"

"Dibs." Her sister repeated.

Melanie looked at her sister with wide eyes. "Nu uh I saw him first!"

"So, I called dibs." Miltia said folding her arms. The rules of dibs are very clear.

Melanie scowled. "You can't do that I call bullshit."

Miltia grinned as they opened the door leading to the stairwell that went up to the second floor office space, or as they called it home. "Hey Junior what are the rules on dibs!" Miltia called out into the space.

From a room up the stairs and down the hall came a muffled groan and then a reply. "What? Every body knows about the international dibs protocol and the no takes back accord."

Miltia gave Melanie a smug smile while her sister looked back with a deadpan expression. "Ugh fine!" She jabbed a finger at her sisters chest but I got next."

"What nu uh!"

The two kept arguing as they made their way to their room.

~ 0 ~

About an hour later Yang and Hei found themselves walking down the street almost back at her motorcycle. The blonde scratched her cheek laughing nervously. "So you weren't hooking up with that other girl then… huh."

Hei sigh mentally but put on a warm smile to keep up the act while rubbing the top of his head. "No I wasn't. I guess she thought I was someone she knew and tried to get me to follow her somewhere." There was truth to his words and he wasn't actually lying either so his response was a lot more fluid and honest than he'd expected.

Yang eyed him suspiciously though before sighing. "That doesn't explain why she sent me those drinks though."

Without missing a beat he responded while swinging the bag with their clothes over his shoulder. "Well when you ditched me at the entrance I was looking around for a place to sit and I saw her from across the room. Or more like we saw eachother."

His comment about her ditching him at the door reminded her of the feeling she had when she realized it herself and reached for him only to find him not there. It made her feel guilty.

He caught the small change in her expression but continued. "Well I ended up finding a table and started drinking to pass the time. I was pretty much watching you from a distance in case you wound up realizing I wasn't there." He added to her guilt with that bit. She looked away putting her arms behind her back and sighed.

"That being said." He gave a little pause. "She came up a little bit after that and tried to drag me off all after having sent you those drinks I'm assuming, so that she could time everything perfectly.

He scratched the side of his nose while wearing a warm smile. "Well it doesn't really bother me. I'm just sticking around to treat you for giving me that ride. If you'd decided to leave with someone else or something like that it wouldn't mean much to me. I'd probably have just left."

She looked at him slowly before looking down at the ground as they walked and let out a sigh. "Oh." Was all she said.

He looked at her curiously. It was strange. He'd thought that she'd have been glad to find out she could have done whatever she wanted without being beholden to him. When they reached her bike he turned to look at her with a concerned expression. "Yang?"

She was grabbing her helmet and putting it on robotically. "Mmm?"

He watched her go through the motions as she got on her bike and put the key in the ignition before putting it in neutral and pulling the clutch while reaching to press the starter. Hei moved to stand in front of the bike and put his hand over the starter while looking down at Yang. "Hey."

Yang looked up and her eyes met his growing wide as reality sank in. She looked around as if just now realizing she was on her bike. "Li?" She said slowly as if in a daze. What are you. Where." She shook her head and sighed. "Oum I'm really feeling it now."

She yawned leaning forward on her bike her head resting on Hei's hand. She let out a small snore and hummed. "Li. I'm tired."

He smiled down at her mirthfully and shook his head softly. "Okay Yang."

"Li…"

"Yes Yang."

"Take me… to bed."

He sighed and tried to take his hand back but she wrapped her arms around his and pulled on him rubbing her cheek against his hand like he was a pillow. "Okay Yang."

She smiled. "Zzzzzzz." and started snoring louder with a bit of drool sliding down the corner of her mouth.

He looked at her and a pang of guilt shot through him. The situation reminded him of something Suou would do. He let out a tired sigh and reached into her pockets trying to find her phone, or scroll.

He found it in her back pocket and opened it finding that she didn't have a password. Lucky him. He found the contacts tab and scrolled through looking for someone with her last name the words mom, dad or something of that nature.

He found a name that read Tai Xiao Long. It was either a brother, uncle or her dad maybe a grandparent. Shrugging he hit the dial button.

Not even one ring later he heard the line click. "Yang! Oh Yang thank Oum. What the hell are you doing out so late I swear when you get back."

Yup definitely her dad. "Mr. Xiao Long."

The voice on the other end went silent instantly. "Who is this." It came back cold and calculating with an edge to it. "If you've done anything to Yang."

"Yang is fine. She's currently sleeping on her bike. I was gonna call a taxi to get her home but I don't know her address and she's…" There was a loud snore.

"Out of it." Tai said on the other end. He sighed. "Oum that girls gonna be the death of me. Her and her sister. Now that I think about it Ruby hasn't called yet either. Hmm. Well she is more responsible than Yang and I think she's just at the library so… anyways."

Hei looked at the scroll curiously at what the man said but decided to just let it go. "Hey buddy you still there?"

Hei cleared his throat. "I'm not your buddy but yeah I'm here. I will be until Yang gets home safe anyways."

There was pause again and then he heard a relived sigh come through the speaker. "Well I guess you aren't too bad. Could be worse."

"What could be worse?" Hei was really starting to get tired of having to read things. He was really jealous of Yang right now too. He just wanted to sleep.

Tai on the other hand not understanding or knowing this decided to keep the meaning to himself. "Nothing. Well anyways. Our address is Patch Island, 3153 Juniper rd. You'll have to take the ferry if you're in Vale and it sounds like it based off the traffic. Please get her back soon. I'd like to get to sleep without worrying about my girls."

Hei's cheek started twitching at the request and he let out a sigh trying to calm down. "Alright. I'll get her there as soon as possible."

"Hey."

Hei looked up at the sky taking a deep breath. "Yes?"

"You obviously know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Well I just looked for a name similar to hers under contacts. She never mentioned you."

"Hgh." Tai made a sound as if taking a blow. "Well at least you're smart. But that's besides the point. I don't know what to call you. So whats your name?"

Hei was about to say Li Shengshun but he got the feeling that it would be the wrong move. "I was going to say Li Shengshun. But I think it would be better to tell you my real name."

"Ha…" Tai made a non committal sound. "Well whats your real name?"

"Hei, Hei Heise."

There was another pause on the line and the a small chuckle. "Darker than Black huh? That is a strange name. Though Li whatever is even worse in my opinion."

Hei chuckled at the words. "Yeah I guess it is."

"Well Hei I'm holding you to your word. Stay by her till she gets home. I'll be be waiting."

Hei let the scroll drop and hit the end call button. "Yes sir."

~ 0 ~

The road to Patch was not a short nor a quick one by any stretch. For starters Hei had to find a reputable towing company that operated at the ungodly hours of the early morning such as 4:00 am so that he could get Yang's bike to the coast town by Patch.

Thankfully he'd found a 24hr service that was willing to take them that far out of the city though it had cost an arm and a leg. Seating had been another problem. He'd found himself sitting on the back of the uncomfortable tow truck for almost two hours with the biting wind while Yang got to sleep in the passenger seat.

By the time it they got to the coast town of Cliff it was almost 6:00 in the morning. The next part of the trek had been wheeling Yang's bike onto the ferry and buying tickets for the next ride along with one for her bike. Nowhere near as expensive as the tow but still more money than he'd have liked to spend. He was still wondering why he was doing this.

During the ferry ride to Patch he'd pulled out the business cards he'd been given by Oobleck and the Baron to inspect them. They were exactly the same except for the number on the back. He supposed they both worked for the same person or company and had given him personalized business cards.

Once they made port it was 7:30. He'd put Yang on her bike and covered her shivering body with his coat while rolling up his sleeves. Looking at the map on Yang's scroll he had quite the walk ahead of him. He groaned internally at the weight of her bike and the hills he'd be pushing it up.

By the time they made it over the last one he was sweating up a storm and it was just about ready to pass out. He looked up to see a pretty big log house surrounded by tall lush green trees and let out a sigh of relief as he pushed the bike to the side where a porch was located. Lifting Yang up onto his back piggy back style he walked around to the front door and knocked a few times drawing a loud snore from the girl and a crash from somewhere within.

Not a minute later the door opened to reveal a man who looked about middle aged with wild blond hair and bright blue eyes. He wore something very similar to what Yang had picked out from Schnee Appeal if a more masculine version. The man took one look at Hei and then at the slumbering bear draped across his back and sighed in relief as he sagged against the door.

He rubbed his face and looked back up at Hei looking just as tired as he felt. "Thank you Hei." He stood aside and opened the door gesturing for him to come inside.

"Don't mention it." He sighed out tiredly as he walked in letting Tai pull Yang off his back. The man held her like a princess and kissed her forehead letting out a chuckle.

"She may almost be an adult legally but she's still so reckless. I can't believe she stayed out so late." He looked at Hei again but this time with the stern look of appraisal a jeweler might inspect a diamond with. Then he looked out the window behind Hei at her bike and to his daughter before letting out an aggravated groan. "Like I said could be worse though."

"What?" Hei just lifted an eyebrow before holding up a hand and closing his eyes as he shook his head. "you know what nevermind, I don't wanna know." He exhaled as he leaned against the dining table next to him.

The corners of Tai's mouth quirked up and he shook his head. "Hey I'm gonna take my little dragon to bed but if you're that tired you can take the couch. I Won't run you out after going through all the trouble of getting her back home.

Hei nodded while rubbing his face giving a yawn. Tai slowly went upstairs disappearing from sight and he pushed off the dinning table and staggering over to the fluffy leather couch and fell back along it with a pleased groan as he felt the muscles in his back stretch and relax.

"Hmm." He draped an arm over his face to block out the sun now peaking through the windows and tried to relax so he could get to sleep. Doing so in new places had never been easy and it took a while for him to settle down. This time was no different. From the warmth of the sunlight traveling across his skin he could tell it had been at least an hour before he'd started to feel sleep take him.

Just as consciousness was leaving him he heard the creak off floorboards and the whoosh of something flying through the air. He moved his arm and looked up to see a girl come flying at him.

"Uncle Qrow!"

"Oof. Owww." He ground out as the girl landed on his stomach. He blinked a couple of times and looked up at the suddenly still body sitting atop him.

"You're… not uncle Qrow."

"Who?"

*Crack*

~ 0 ~

And that's a wrap.

Hope to see you guys next time.

~ 0 ~


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